Our Generation
by Mystwalker
Summary: Fifteen years after the Calamity was destroyed, the Rift opened up, the last vestige of a war against the Planet. But what is the Rift exactly, and what caused it? Arielle Fair, daughter of Zack Fair and Aerith Gainsborough, thinks she might be able to find out, but what does any of this have to do with Shinra or Wutai's heir? Set 25 years after my Another Side AU. Same pairings.
1. Chapter 1

**Our Generation**

**By:**

**Mystwalker**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Final Fantasy VII.

**A/N: **In case you guys haven't figured it out yet, future fics are kind of my drug, since it's like writing a novel without having to do the world building. I don't expect this to be very long, certainly not the epic that Another Side is turning out to be, but I do expect it to be somewhat close to novel-length. I also probably won't update as frequently as I update Another Side, but this needs to get out of my head so I can stop thinking about this while I'm working on other things.

Each chapter will end with a short profile of one of the characters, for the curious.

(Oh, and the next Yuffie's Guide chapter is _The Vincent_. That's why it's taking so long. Getting into Yuffie's head while she thinks about Vincent is a somewhat complicated venture.)

Warning: OCs ahead. Lots of 'em. I don't usually write fics with OCs, but it's kind of necessary for this one.

XxXxX

_There was a flower blooming in the snow. _

_Her hair was so blond it seemed almost white, her eyes a pale gray. She was a little girl, couldn't be any older than six or seven, and she was standing alone in the blizzard, her back towards him. The wind tugged at her hair and at the fabric of her simple white dress, causing it to billow around her. Snow swirled, blanketing the world in white and ice. _

_There was ice in her eyes too. He wanted to reach out to her, to ask her what she was doing here, to tell her to go back inside, but his words were drowned out by the wind. She couldn't hear him. He reached out, trying to grab at her, but she took a step back, seeming to slip right through his fingers. His mouth opened, and he heard himself call her. "...Len..." _

Why?

_She turned towards him, and for a moment, he thought she could see him, that her eyes met his._ _Her mouth moved, calling his name. _

_"..Kieran.." _

Why? _he found himself asking again. _

_"Kieran..." _

I'm here...Len, I'm here. Why can't you see me?

_"Kieran!" _

His eyes snapped open, and he blinked, adjusting to the light. He was lying on a leather couch, in a large gray room with high ceilings. The sunlight was entering the room through a panel of windows to his right. A clock on the wall displayed the time in glowing digital letters: **08:12**. His eyes widened as he remembered where he was, and he sat up quickly, looking around. A young woman was standing in front of him, looking at him impatiently, but this was not the woman from his dream. She had long black hair, falling almost to her waist, soft features, and the almond shaped brown eyes favored by Wutaiians. The girl was dressed in a black suit and tie, with not a button out of place. She was carrying a brown paper bag in one hand, and coffee in the other. He shook his head, blinking sleep out of his eyes.

"Sorry," he said, rubbing at his eyes with the heel of his hand.

"Sleeping on the job already?" she asked, moving past him and over to her desk. "You just clocked in."

Kieran shook his head, running a hand through his brown hair in an attempt to comb it and getting to his feet. "I clocked in yesterday morning," he said, smiling wearily. "I haven't clocked out." He walked over to his own desk, scooping up a sheaf of folders and papers and placing them on hers. She looked up.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Everything I have on Miles Woodworth," he said. He stifled a yawn. "And for the record, next time, you can stay up all night listening to the midnight transmissions of a deranged pervert."

"We've tapped Reno's house?" asked a voice from the doorway. "Since when?"

Kieran grinned, looking up. The young Turk in the doorway had dark hair and gray eyes, and looked considerably more rested than he was. "Last night," he said. "You missed it."

"Darn," he said, snapping his fingers regretfully.

"Farron, if you have time to be making jokes, you have time to be working," noted the girl, already rifling through the folder on top of the stack.

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am," said Farron with a mock salute, swinging his chair around and booting up his computer.

The girl sighed and picked up the paper bag on her desk, tossing it to him without warning. It smacked him in the chest, right over his tie, and he scrambled to catch it before it could fall away. It was still warm, and he caught the scent of food. Kieran looked up at her, but she had already turned away, and was busying herself with reading the report.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Breakfast," she said, picking up her cup of coffee and taking a sip. "You look like you need it. Get your own coffee. Or go home and get some rest. We're guarding the Vice President at the benefit tonight."

"It'll have to be coffee, then," said Kieran, opening the paper bag. He pulled out the ham and cheese sandwich from inside it, glancing once at the girl. She looked away, and he hid his smile. Xi didn't even _like _ham. "I'm heading off in a couple of hours."

"You're making that delivery to the front?" asked Farron, from his desk. "You look like hell."

"I can make it," said Kieran, taking a bite. "The plane practically flies itself."

"Yeah," muttered Farron. "Into a mountain."

"Farron," said Xi again.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," said Farron, waving a hand dismissively. He reached up, snapping a pair of headphones around his ears. "Working, working."

"What's going on?" asked a feminine voice as the door to the office opened again. The girl that walked in was small and slight, and almost dwarfed by the suit she was wearing, but there was a grin on her face, and a large cup of coffee in her hand. She took a swig from it, setting it down on her desk as she swung around and turned to them. Her hair was short and blond, falling just past her ears, and her eyes were a clear, pale gray. Farron grinned at her from his desk but didn't answer, gesturing instead to his headphones and pointing at Xi. She shot him a look, folding her arms and turning back towards the girl.

"We're wrapping up the Woodworth investigation," said Xi, flipping the page.

The girl made a face. "That guy?" she asked. "Yuck. Better you than me, Kieran."

"Gee, thanks," said Kieran, offering her a tired smile.

"I'll review this report," said Xi, setting the folder down on her desk. "Kieran, get yourself some coffee and another hour of sleep before you get on that plane. You look like you need it. Farron, keep working on tracing those messages. Rosa-."

Farron raised a hand, interrupting her. He was staring intently at something on his computer screen. "Boss incoming in three," he said, pressing a button. "Two. One."

The door to the office opened, and the four of them looked up. An older Wutaiian man stood in the doorway, his eyes drifting over the four of them. He was in his fifties, with long black hair liberally streaked with gray, but he still wore the suit, and there was a certain air about him that commanded respect. When he spoke, his wasn't the loudest voice in the room, but everyone heard it all the same. Kieran felt himself straighten up almost automatically under that gaze.

"Kieran," called Tseng, inclining his head towards the hallway.

Kieran nodded in response, and Tseng stepped back, letting the door close behind him. He swallowed down the rest of his breakfast quickly, taking two big bites, then made for his desk, grabbing his cellphone and ID. He knew better than to keep Tseng waiting.

"Take your gun," suggested Xi, looking up at him. "I know the look on his face. You're not going to make it to the front today."

Kieran was already reaching for the handgun in his desk drawer. He gave it a cursory examination, sliding it into his holster. He could feel their eyes on him-Xi, Farron, and Rosa. "Way ahead of you," he said, walking towards the door. "Farron."

"Don't worry about it," said Farron, grinning as he pulled his headphones down around his neck. "I'll say hi to Ari for you."

"Thanks," said Kieran with a smile, as he shut the door.

XxXxX

Aidan's command had driven the enemy into the canyon. From where she sat, she could see them, a stampede of four-legged beasts, all claws and teeth and dark shadows behind them, kicking up a roiling cloud of dust. Behind them, the WRO troops ran them down, a large number of troops all dressed in the WRO field uniform. From above, they looked like a wave of white and gray, chasing down the monsters. She waited with bated breath until she could see their commander, her mako blue eyes scanning the vanguard.

_There. _A flash of white just ahead of the main force of the troops, swords flashing in unison as they cut through the rearmost monsters. He jumped forward, his signature white coat fanning out behind him as he whirled and turned, surrounding himself in a circle of red.

"Ma'am," said the soldier waiting beside her. He had the same bright mako blue eyes as she did, marking him as a remnant of Shinra's old SOLDIER program. A child of a SOLDIER that inherited the enhancements. Rare, and highly prized.

"I know," she said. "I see him."

She sat back, watching as the stampede edged closer and closer to their perch, until it was just below them, their snarls bouncing off the canyon walls and reaching them where they waited, magnified a hundred fold.

"Ma'am," said the soldier again, more insistently.

She raised her hand. "Wait," she said.

The enemy advanced. She settled back into her seat, taking a slow deep breath and counting backwards from ten as she kept her eyes fixed on them. _Ten...nine...eight..._Her gloved hands reached up, tugging a set of goggles over her eyes. She checked her sword straps as the stampede passed by, now directly below them.

"Colonel Fair," said the soldier beside her again. She ignored him, her eyes fixed on the stampede. _Seven. Six. Five. _She could hear the sounds of the battle now, the brigade's main force having caught up with the enemy. Her hands reached up, grasping onto handlebars as her foot made ready to kick away the kickstand. _Four, _she thought. _Three. Two. _

"Colonel," said the man again. A roar rose up from the canyon. She could see Aidan clearly now, spinning and whirling, his two swords moving as one.

_One. _

"Go," said Ari, twisting the throttle. The bike came alive beneath her, releasing a throaty growl. Without waiting for an answer, she took off, sunlight flashing against the small silver decal on the side of the bike. A woman, sitting astride a winged horse. The Valkyrie. She grinned, riding the motorcycle along the lip of the canyon and kicking up a stream of dust. Ari sped up, leaning forward in her seat and letting the motorcycle overtake the stampede. Then, she veered to the right, sailing clear off the canyon edge. Her stomach lurched from the fall, her long black hair, loosely braided, streaming out behind her. She landed on the ground just as the Valkyrie's side compartments opened with a hiss, and she quickly whirled around, grabbing hold onto the hilt of a broadsword. She drew it quickly from its sheath, slashing through the side of the nearest monster as it rushed at her. It vanished in a cloud of smoke and shadow, and she wheeled the bike around, grabbing onto another, sightly smaller sword with her offhand. Her own smaller command was pouring down the hillside, but she had reached the battlefield ahead of them, and was now facing off the incoming stampede.

"Oh, yeah!" she shouted, leading the charge. "Come and get it!"

She sped off into the fray, swords out to either side of her. Ari cut and parried, running down the monsters that rushed towards her and feeling her heart pounding in her chest. She could see Aidan up ahead, and ran down a monster that attempted to get the drop on him from behind, launching her motorcycle forward and slamming her front wheel right into its face. She floored it, the wheels spinning rapidly before she soared straight over, and landed on the dusty ground beside him. He caught her eye, green eyes meeting his, and she saw him give her a quick nod of acknowledgment. In response, she flashed him a smile and a peace sign, then grabbed onto her handlebars with one hand, swinging around and cutting a shadow monster's legs right from under it. Then her own force reached the melee, and the battle truly began.

To no one's surprise, the WRO won that day. After the battle was won, she found Aidan in the command tent. Ari had spent most of her morning after the battle in the medic's tent, seeing to the wounded and compiling a casualty list. It was surprisingly light. Aidan's regiment had more SOLDIER remnants than any other command in the WRO, and he used them to the fullest, putting them in the vanguard and allowing them to absorb the shock of blows that most regular soldiers wouldn't have been able to. And then there was the fact that Aidan himself always led the charge. That was as much a morale booster as it was skill-Aidan Crescent, the prodigy, the white dragon of the battlefield, the Great Sephiroth come again.

And like his father, he hated the recognition.

Said hero was standing over one of the maps in the command tent, both hands braced against either side of it as he pored down at them. The white coat that he wore was streaked with dust, as was the modified WRO uniform he wore beneath it. His expression was troubled and serious, his bright, cat-like green eyes focused on every flag placed on the map. She knew that he knew them all by heart, but he studied them each time after a battle, as though something might have changed. He'd make his own rounds later, she knew, when he could find the time. He'd visit the worst of the injured, but he'd do it at a time when he thought no one was watching him, not even her.

"We lost four on the raid," she said, letting the tent flap fall closed behind her. "Six badly injured. All in all, it could have been worse."

"It could have been better," said Aidan, not looking up at her. He ran his finger along the ravine in the map, marked in red. It was only a few miles south of the huge black scar of the Rift, the tear in the earth that was the source of all their problems. Nobody could get close enough to the Rift to determine what was down there, but everyone agreed that it couldn't be good. Her mother had once told her that the Rift was where the Planet had placed all of its impurities-the impurities it had purged itself of after the events of Meteorfall. Tainted mako, residual Jenova cells, everything within the Lifestream that wasn't supposed to be there had been cast out in one fell swoop. And over time, it grew.

"We should be taking the fight to them," said Aidan. "Not just cleaning up."

"We clean up pretty well, though, you have to admit," said Ari, picking up an unopened bottle of water from the table. She turned, leaning against the map table behind her and taking a long sip. The water helped wash some of the dust from her mouth. Her father had said that when he fought his war-the Wutai War-it had been fought in a damp jungle. She almost would have preferred that to this dust bowl.

"But cleaning up isn't enough," said Aidan. "Men are dying every day."

"Point," said Ari, her expression softening. "But Aidan, you can't save them all."

"Their deaths ought to mean something," said Aidan, shaking his head and running a hand through his short silver hair. "I want to talk to the Commissioner again."

"And tell him what?" asked Ari, capping the bottle in her hands and turning towards him. "We haven't been able to get close to the Rift."

"We haven't been sending the right people," said Aidan. "I could-."

"No," said Ari, cutting him off. She shook her head, setting the bottle aside. "No. Not alone."

"Ari..." began Aidan, looking down at her.

She looked up at him, blue eyes clashing with green. "We've been over this, Aidan," she said. "I won't let you go. Not by yourself. We need you here."

"I could order you to stand down," he said.

"Would you?" asked Ari, her eyes narrowing.

"No," Aidan shook his head. "Gaia, no. Although I should." He turned away. "One of these days, I really should."

Ari frowned up at him, placing a hand on his arm. The touch was gentle, and she felt him tense, then relax into her hold, his expression still troubled. "When the time comes," she said. "If you really want to go down there, I'll go with you."

"And die?" asked Aidan, not looking up at her.

"If it comes to that," said Ari, stepping closer to him. "I'm not afraid. Mom says for the Cetra, death is a curtain, not a door." She smiled. "But if you and I can't beat what's down there, no one else can."

"Ari..." Aidan turned towards her.

The tent flap swung open, a soldier poking his head in. The two of them sprang apart almost instantly, glancing at the intruder. He was a young Wutaiian man. Ari recognized him from her own squad. His eyes passed between the two of them, and a flush spread over his face. "S-Sorry to interrupt, sir, ma'am," he said. "Weapon shipment's here from Shinra."

From Shinra. Kieran.

"I'll take it," said Ari, stepping forward. "Thanks for letting me know, Ryo." To Aidan, she gave a polite nod. "See you later."

"Mm, see you," said Aidan, turning back towards his maps. She let him, letting the tent flap close behind her. She sent Ryosuke off to get some rest, crossing the camp and heading towards the large open area that served as a helipad. A Shinra helicopter was already there, with a handful of WRO soldiers unloading crates, but the Turk that waved her over wasn't the one she had been expecting. She frowned, walking over to him and taking the clipboard he handed her.

"Hey," said Farron. "You look tired."

"We just had a battle today," said Ari, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear. She glanced down at the inventory list, matching it up with the boxes being pulled from the helicopter. Ari gestured vaguely into the distance. "A bunch of those shadow cats broke off from the Rift. We channeled them into the canyons and got them from both ends."

"Sounds exciting," said Farron. He leaned back against the helicopter, offering her a lazy smile. "Well, it's all here. Bunch of guns and ammo, and some swords too, for those that want them. They're already paid for."

"Thanks." Ari penned her name at the bottom of the file, flipping through it and looking for other blanks. "Where's my brother?" she asked.

"On assignment," said Farron. "Got called in by the Director early this morning, and haven't seen him since. Must be important."

She knew better than to ask Farron whether or not he knew anything about it. Kieran was her brother, but not even he would talk about his work with her. Instead, she simply nodded, finishing up the paperwork and handing it back to him. "Tell him to call me when he gets back?" she asked.

"Sure thing," said Farron, grinning. "I'll pass it on."

"Thanks," said Ari. She watched Farron get back into the helicopter, waiting until the Shinra chopper was nothing more than a dot in the sky, then sighed, rubbing at her sore shoulder and heading back to the main part of camp. She paused, resting one hand on the hilt of her sword as she looked out in the distance. Even in the heat of the day, the area near the Rift seemed to shimmer with black smoke. The Rift had rebuffed all attempts to study it, but if she and Aidan went, the Valkyrie and the dragon...would they be able to succeed where others had failed?

Maybe. And maybe not.

_I wish you'd talk to me like you talk to my brothers, _she thought towards the Planet. _Maybe then you'd tell me what to do. _

The Planet didn't respond. Arielle Fair stood there for a moment more before she turned away, heading back towards her tent, and her men.

XxXxX

**PROFILE 001: Kieran**

**Name: **Kieran Fair

**Age: **23

**Birthday: **December 4

**Hometown: **Edge

**Hair Color: **Brown

**Eye Color: **Green

**Mother: **Aerith Gainsborough

**Father: **Zack Fair

**Siblings: **Caden (25), Arielle (20)

**Occupation: **Shinra Manufacturing Company, General Affairs Department

**Notable: **Kieran and his brother don't get along. This rivalry is heightened by the fact that his brother works in the WRO special forces. However, both of them care deeply for their younger sister, and will put aside their differences when she is involved. He is the only one out of his three siblings that has not inherited Zack's mako-enhanced strength and endurance, although conversely, out of all of them, he is most in tune with the Planet.

His joining the Turks is often attributed to both initial pressure from Tseng, and a childhood friendship with Vice-President Lenora Shinra. He joined the Turks at age seventeen, the exact year that Lenora was appointed to Vice-President. At the time, he was assigned as partner to Xifeng, an established member of the Turks. They are still partners to this day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Our Generation**

**By:**

**Mystwalker**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Final Fantasy VII.

**A/N: **Thanks go to **CupofTeaforAliceandHatter** and **DJ Meltdown of Ground Xero** for the reviews and support! I know this story isn't everyone's cup of tea, but hopefully you guys will enjoy it!

XxXxX

She crouched on the rampart beneath a cloak of red, watching the shadows converge on her position. There were three of them, coming from all directions. They swarmed the area beneath her, three great wolf-like creatures, rearing up on their hind legs and running up the walls towards where she waited. She could hear them snarling, see them falling all over themselves to get her. Her gloved hand moved, reaching for the gun belted to her waist. The familiar weight of it settled into her hand, several inches of gleaming steel. The hammer came back with a click, a bullet sliding into place. Light flashed against the side of the weapon, reflecting against the _kanji _character inscribed there.

_Giri. _Duty.

Giri's first bullet took one of the monsters squarely between the eyes, causing it to disappear in a flash of twisting shadow. By the time the second reached the rampart, Arisa was gone, having jumped off the narrow catwalk in a flurry of black and red. She turned, her black cloak fluttering behind her as she twisted around, falling backwards through the air. Deep crimson eyes fixed on her target as she fell, and she squeezed the trigger. The second gunshot tore through the shadowcat's side, pinging against the metal wall behind it. Arisa fell back, kicking off against the wall nearest her and using that force and the momentum of the shot to flip over and land on the floor. The third was still on the ground, ahead of her, but it immediately reversed direction as it noticed her, doubling back and lunging at her in a tangle of claws and teeth. Arisa took a step back, catching its mouth with her left hand. The creature's teeth clanged uselessly against the metal plating on her left glove, but it clamped on like a vise anyway, and she had to fight to keep her footing and her elbow intact as she pushed back against the creature, throwing it off of her with one smooth sweeping motion. She raised Giri and fired off two shots, the first catching the creature in the face, and the second catching it in the leg. The creature roared, disappearing as well.

Then it was quiet. Arisa spun around on the tiptoe of one booted foot, her red cloak and the skirt of her simple black dress fluttering around her with the movement. She grinned, thrusting one fist into the air triumphantly. "I did it!" she said. "See, I told you I could handle anything you threw at me."

_"I'm not really done yet." _The voice that spoke seemed to come from everywhere and yet nowhere, but Arisa caught the flash of light out of the corner of her eye that told her that the VR program was being stretched to its limits. Without warning, alarms suddenly blared, steel bars falling over each of the entrances and reducing the area she was fighting in to an area about a quarter of the size. A dark, _loud _area about a quarter of the size she was used to, with the only light coming from a flashing red emergency light and the sound of the alarms echoing off the metal walls and amplifying to what sounded like a hundred times its original volume. If this was a video game, she would have called it a nightmare level. But VR games differed from training simulators in two aspects-they didn't constantly evolve, and in video games the player never felt pain.

Arisa's eyes widened as she heard scuttling in the dark behind her, and she whirled around, looking over her shoulder. "Oh, you bitch..." she muttered under her breath.

The disembodied voice laughed. Well, it was more of a soft chuckle, really, but it sounded loud enough to her ears. _"Language, ane-san. If you're scared, I can abort the program." _

Arisa snorted, tightening her grip on Giri. Her red eyes narrowed. "Bring it, Vickie!" she said. "I'm not afraid of anything!"

_"It's Victoria." _

Whatever was in the darkness charged before Arisa could reply, and it was all she could do to jump out of the way as giant pincers stabbed themselves into the metal wall behind her. They clanged against the wall, thankfully not strong enough to pierce through it, but the sound only added to the clangor. Arisa's eyes narrowed, and she jumped onto one of the claws, pausing just long enough to fire two shots into the dark before jumping out of the way of another attack, drawing her cloak tightly around herself. A combination of the muzzle flare and her eyes adjusting illuminated something big and dark in the chamber with her, something with chitinous plates for armor, a few too many legs, and an arching tail. Some sort of insect then. Lovely. "Anyone ever tell you-," she asked as she jumped out of the way of another attack. "-that you have a twisted freaking imagination?"

_"From you, I'll take that as a compliment." _

She dodged the giant scorpion's tail as it lashed out against the wall, managing to snap past just as it struck. Her next shot took it on the head, but the bullet missed its eye by a hand's breath, bouncing harmlessly off its armor. It recoiled, but the attack didn't seem to do any real damage. Arisa cursed as she began to plummet, her cloak whipping past her as she fell. She landed on the ground, tucking and rolling out of the way as pincers came down at her and firing at its underbelly. The blast only served to blind her for a moment and annoy the creature. It scuttled off her, turning around in an attempt to find her. She could see its fangs gleaming in the faint light.

"Leviathan, Vic, tell me this thing isn't poisonous," she said.

_"Alright, I won't tell you," _said Victoria, just as the creature rushed in again.

Arisa scowled, pushing herself to her feet and jumping back. Her next move was something that came from the Vincent Valentine school of fighting-she shot at the alarm. Glass shattered and the meager lighting flickered in the small space as her bullet punched through the alarm mechanism, but at least it was now quiet. Still dark, still cramped, but quiet. She could hear herself think. Giri's chamber held twelve rounds-she'd fired off seven. She had extra magazines clipped to her belt next to the holster, but reloading in the dark would be a bitch. Five shots left, then. Make them count.

_Think. _

She could practically hear her father's voice in her head as she jumped away from the next slash. Control. Control was all-important to the gunslinger. She had to remain in control of the fight.

She landed on the back of the scorpion's tail, her cloak flapping around her as she rose up into the air. Its eyes glowed in the darkness, prime targets. She raised Giri just as it slashed its tail to the side to throw her off of its back, gripping the gun in both hands and firing downward. The bullet tore through the scorpion's eye with a sound like shattering glass, and the creature let out a high, keening wail, the sound setting her teeth on edge. It scuttled back, then began to thrash wildly, and she narrowly avoided getting stuck by the barb at the end of its tail, the point of it scraping against her armored glove as she fell.

The next slash swiped the gun right out of her hands, Giri flashing brightly before falling into the darkness. Arisa's eyes widened, and she groped for it, but it was too little too late. The weapon plummeted to the ground, crashing against the wall, and it was all she could do to twist out of the way as the scorpion stabbed its tail against the wall again. She grit her teeth as the body of the tail crashed against her, throwing her into the metal wall, and she quickly twisted around so that she landed on her front, using her arms to push herself back off and towards the ground. She tried to angle herself in the direction that Giri had fallen, but just as she started to fall, the scorpion lunged, its tail piercing the fabric of her cloak. Her fall was suddenly halted as she found herself pulled back, pinned to the wall by the clasp around her shoulders and dangling there.

That was the last straw. Arisa's eyes narrowed, blazing crimson, and she glared down at the huge scorpion. "Alright," she snarled. "I've had just about _enough _of you!" Her hand reached up, tugging at the clasp that bound her cloak to her around her neck. It came free, and she plummeted, a shadow in a long-sleeved black dress and boots. Arisa's hands immediately went to her back, to the pair of _tantos _slung across the base of her spine. The blades came free with a hiss as she whirled around, stabbing one deep into the creature's eye socket and the second two-handed into the vulnerable space in the plates at its back, while it thrashed. The dagger bit deep and fast, and the creature let out a high pitched keening wail before it collapsed onto the ground, the area suddenly going silent.

Arisa exhaled softly as the world around her faded, her gun, her knives, and her cloak all clattering to the floor. When her vision cleared again, she was crouched in the WRO's training room, a slim visor around her eyes. She took a deep breath, wiped the sweat from her brow with her non-gauntleted arm, and went to gather her things. The daggers went back into their sheaths, and she swept the cloak back around her shoulders. The last thing she picked up was Giri from the floor, and here she paused to clean the sides of the gun with the edge of her cloak, removing some of the scuff marks before sliding it back into her holster.

In the corner of the room, Victoria Valentine tugged her larger helmet from her head and disentangled herself from the complicated Synaptic Net Dive set up. She was breathing hard too, and the sight brought Arisa a small amount of pride even as she folded her arms and glared at her. Alright, it had been a mess back there, but it wasn't easy making the simulation runner sweat.

"You're evil," she told her sister, as Victoria crossed the room towards her. "You know that, right?"

"So I've been told," said Victoria, sweeping her long black hair across her shoulder.

Physically, the sisters looked almost exactly alike. They were of the same height, and had the same jet black hair, the same red eyes and soft, Wutaiian features. But while Arisa's hair was cut in a short bob that fell just below her ears, Victoria had grown her hair out. It fell past her shoulders, and was usually either let down or tied back in a ponytail. It was tied in a simple ponytail now, a low one at the base of her neck. And while Arisa's everyday outfit consisted of a black dress, a hooded cloak, black boots that went all the way up to her knees, two knives, a gun, a glove covered with steel and one without, Victoria usually dressed for the day in a simple white shirt and dark shorts. A band around her arm concealed the seal that Arisa knew was placed there. For her own part, the seals that had been necessary wouldn't have been concealed by a simple arm band.

Arisa Kisaragi and Victoria Valentine. The two of them were night and day on the outside, but in many respects, they were the same. Arisa sighed, rubbing at her sore shoulder. "For a moment, I thought you were trying to kill me," she joked, giving her sister a nervous smile.

"Well, you said to incorporate the newest data from the front. That came from the front."

"Seriously?" asked Arisa, looking up at her sister. "Damn. Who took down that monster? Aidan?"

"Raine," replied Victoria, with the faintest hint of a smile.

_"Strife?"_ asked Arisa, eyes wide. "You're joking. No-_seriously_? That's why he's not back yet, isn't it?"

"I haven't heard, but it looks like," said Victoria, shrugging. She rested one hand on her waist, inclining her head towards the door. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," said Arisa, shaking her head. "Yeah, lets get out of here."

The two of them moved, leaving the training room. As they stopped by the Intelligence floor to gather their things and clock out for the day, Arisa glanced at her sister, shooting her a look. "You know, you didn't _need _to stick the scorpion in an enclosed space, you know."

Victoria's response was to glance at her over her shoulder as the two of them walked down the street. She wasn't smiling-Victoria saved her smiles carefully, but her eyes were amused. "I thought you wanted a challenge," she said.

Arisa didn't bother to dignify that with a response. The twins made their way through the streets of Edge, heading towards the city's residential quarter. The Kisaragi-Valentine house might have been more modest than some might expect, considering it housed the head of the WRO intelligence bureau, and no less than three members of Wutai's royal family, but it was still a decently sized house, and Arisa liked it better than the palace that would eventually become her home. There was an air of privacy in the house that the palace didn't really afford, and unlike at the palace, she was free to be herself. She let Victoria open the door, stepping through the living room and into the kitchen. She could hear someone in there, and hoped her mother wasn't trying to cook. Yuffie Kisaragi was many things, but a cook was not one of them.

And anyway, she could have sworn her mother would have remained at the office until later. Oh well.

"Hey, Mom," she said, grinning as she walked into the kitchen. "We're h-."

Arisa stopped in her tracks, staring. Her mother was there, alright, but she wasn't alone. She was leaning against the counter with her arms folded, a slightly apologetic smile on her face, the kind she took on when she knew someone was about to fly off the handle. She turned her attention away from her mother, scanning the room.

There was a Wutaiian man seated at the kitchen table, looking over his shoulder at her. Arisa took one look at him and turned on heel, heading back out the door. Unfortunately, she happened to crash headlong into her father. Vincent looked down at her and gave her his usual exasperated look, and she offered up a sheepish smile, blinking red eyes innocently up at him. Vincent's response was to frown, place a hand on her shoulder, and guide her back into the kitchen. Arisa sighed inwardly, her shoulders slumping as she complied.

The Wutaiian man was already on his feet by the time she arrived, and he wasted no time in giving her a deep, formal bow. The man was a little taller than her, and only a little older than her, and fairly easy on the eyes if she was honest with herself, with short straight black hair, almond shaped brown eyes, and slightly tanned skin. He was dressed all in black, as he usually was, but had traded out his traditional ninja garb for a more Gaian shirt, jacket, boots, and pants. His sword was slung over his back, still in its sheath. It was a black-hilted _odachi_, longer than the average _katana _but still nothing compared to the length of Sephiroth's famous Masamune. A black-hilted sword in a black sheath-she instantly gave it a look of distrust.

"Ichiro," she said as he rose. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I didn't expect to be here until yesterday, Hime-sama," he replied coolly. "I was assigned to support the WRO intelligence bureau." _And to keep an eye on you. _He didn't say it out loud, but he didn't need to. His eyes told the story enough. "My application is still on Valentine-sama's desk." He spoke Gaian well enough, but it was obviously not his native language. She noticed the way he stumbled over the _l's _and _r's _in his sentences ('_Varentainu-sama' _for one), but it was obvious that he was working at it. Her hand curled into a fist.

_Diplomatic, _she reminded herself. _You have to be diplomatic._ It wasn't Ichiro's fault he had been sent here. _  
_

Probably.

She took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, glancing at her parents and twin before looking back at Ichiro. "Do you want to talk outside?" she asked.

"If my lady commands."

Arisa resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Victoria turning her head to hide her smile. "She does," she said curtly, inclining her head towards the door. "Outside."

XxXxX

The second floor balcony wasn't the most private place for a conversation, but it would have to do. Arisa waited until she was reasonably sure Victoria wasn't listening in, then closed the glass door behind her and whirled onto the ninja. "Who sent you?" she demanded, folding her arms.

"My father," Ichiro admitted. He still stood up straight in her presence, his back against the railing of the balcony. "He sent me in order to protect you, and to try for your hand, unworthy though I might be. The Emperor, in all his wisdom, approved the request. He-."

Arisa waved a hand through the air, cutting him off. She had heard enough. "Cut the _keigo, _please. It's just annoying," she said, switching to Wutaiian. She wasn't in the mood to deal with formal speech at the moment. She pinched the bridge of her nose, unable to believe this was happening right now. "We had six more years. Until I was twenty-five. That was the _deal_."

Ichiro replied in the same language. Thankfully, he did seem to at least _try _to cut back on the traditional formalities. "The agreement between our Houses was that we were to be wed when you reached twenty-five years of age, assuming you could find no suitable marriage candidates on your own."

Arisa inwardly groaned. Suitable, in this case, meant at least half-Wutaiian and not guilty of any crimes of treason going back at least two generations, which left most of the men this side of the continent out. And those were the _lenient _conditions. But at the very least she could count. "You're still too early," she said, folding her arms. "Do the math, Ichi. I'm only nineteen, not twenty-five."

Ichiro watched her, but his eyes fixed on her jaw instead of her own eyes. Arisa paused, realizing how uncomfortable he suddenly looked. It would be difficult to tell-his face was as impassive as always, but Arisa had grown up around these type of people. She knew how to see through stoicism, both Wutaiian and otherwise. He knew something, and he didn't want to say. Arisa watched him shift ever so slightly in place, his mind wandering as though he were trying to find the words. She frowned.

"What?" she asked. "If something's wrong, spit it out."

"It's only that...things...may soon change in Wutai," he said. "It would be prudent if..."

"Quit dancing around the subject," said Arisa, her brow furrowing in concern. She folded her arms. "C'mon. I'm a big girl. Say what you mean."

Ichiro looked up at her, meeting her eyes. The motion was almost hesitant, and Arisa had always known him to be so sure of himself before. _That _worried her. "...The marriage contract was conditional upon the Emperor's will," he finally said.

"And?" asked Arisa.

"There's no telling what changes the council could make to the contract...if you were unwed and the Emperor happened to die."

XxXxX

The office of the Director of General Affairs hadn't really changed much since Meteorfall. Shinra changed, in many ways, as had its role in the world, but Tseng found that the Turks remained as they were, for the most part. Loyal to the company, and loyal to each other. He glanced down at the file in front of him, a photograph clipped to the top page. It depicted a young man, barely seventeen years old, with dark brown hair and green eyes, dressed in a suit and staring solemnly at the camera. The picture had been clipped just over his name: Kieran A. Fair. The boy had Aerith's eyes. They saw too much, and gave away too little. When Tseng had sent him to Mideel, Kieran had simply looked at him before nodding and saying he would go, and Tseng had caught the look in the young man's eyes.

_I know why you're sending me there. I know what you're not telling me_.

But he left anyway, without argument, without complaint. Tseng shut the folder, setting it aside as the door to his office opened. He sat back in his chair, looking up at the girl that entered.

He supposed that sort of attitude was a good thing, in this new generation of Turks.

"You wanted to see me, Director?" asked the dark-haired girl, walking over to his desk. He looked up at her as she stood there, waiting for her orders. He could see a lot of himself in Xi, some days, and he wondered whether or not that was a good thing. He'd been so long at this job that it was literally a part of him, and now a part of her too. But now wasn't the time for such thoughts. Now, they had work to do.

"Yes," he said. "Have a seat, Xifeng. I need to discuss something with you."

XxXxX

**PROFILE 002: Xifeng**

**Name: **Xifeng (Xi)

**Age: **23

**Birthday: **December 18

**Hometown: **Junon

**Hair Color: **Black

**Eye Color: **Brown

**Mother: **Elena

**Father: **Tseng

**Siblings: **N/A

**Occupation: **Shinra Manufacturing Company, General Affairs Department

**Notable: **Xifeng is the only second-generation Turk currently working with Shinra. She is of an age with the Vice-President, and the two of them have been close since they were children, even going to the same school. Although she and her father are close, at the office, their relationship is purely professional. Although she has acquaintances outside of the Turks (especially the children of other former Turks, including Aidan and Ella Crescent), she's rarely seen in their company, preferring the company of her own team after hours.

While she has no official rank above the younger Turks beyond that of seniority, they tend to look to her for guidance.


	3. Chapter 3

**Our Generation**

**By:**

**Mystwalker**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Final Fantasy VII.

**A/N: **This is probably the last "introduction" chapter, because after all of this, all the major players will be on the field. Not saying there aren't characters I'm planning to introduce later on, but they won't be "main characters" as far as the story goes.

Also, in keeping with the FFVII character profiles, I've added Blood Type to this one. For those of you wondering (because some people do XD), Kieran's blood type is O, since both Zack and Aerith are O. Xifeng is AB. Both Vinnie and Yuffie are A, but I put both A and O into the random generator to pull out O for Arisa/Victoria because the O blood type can be recessive. (If both A's are heterogeneous-that is-AO, they have a 1 in 4 chance of having children with the O blood type).

XxXxX

"Come on, you can't sulk forever."

Arisa's room had huge windows that faced west, allowing her to flood her room with sunlight in her brighter moods, and black out curtains to keep out the light for her darker ones. The curtains were pulled half-closed now, so that the side of the bed where she sat curled up, her knees drawn close to her chest, was dark, while the other half of her bed was stained a bright orange from the setting sun. She leaned forward and ducked her head, resting her chin on the folded arms on top of her knees and letting the hood of her cloak fall over her eyes. From beside her, Victoria let out a small sigh, running a hand through her hair and glancing off to the side.

"You have to get out of here some time."

Arisa said nothing, staring at the point of the wall in front of her. She did her best to tune her sister out, her mind still on the conversation she'd had with Ichiro. She tightened her hold on her cloak, making a noise of disapproval as Victoria stepped forward and attempted to (literally) push her into action. Arisa glared at her, shrinking back, and Victoria clucked her tongue impatiently.

"No one is _forcing _you to marry him," she said.

Arisa rolled her eyes, lowering her head again. Victoria stared at her for a moment, before shaking her head, taking a step back and running a hand through her hair. "Whatever," she said, turning around and resting one hand on her waist. "When you feel like acting normal again, you know where to find me." She walked out quietly from the room, closing the door behind her. Once she was gone, Arisa relaxed her shoulders slightly, allowing herself to think. She wasn't upset about Ichiro, not really. He was only doing what he could. What she was really upset about was the fact that no one had seen fit to inform her that all of this was going on-that her grandfather was sick, and that the council was pushing for a Wutaiian marriage. She was the _heir. _She should have known about this from the beginning. And now what was she supposed to do? Just sit quietly and take it as the council tried, not for the first time, to run her life?

_Yes_, she reminded herself, her eyes drifting over the gun that was currently hanging in its holster on a rack in her room. _Duty_.

Duty demanded that she put Wutai's needs above her own, that she at least give serious thought to the matter of succession. It didn't mean she had to like it.

Footsteps padded up the stairs again, and the door to her room opened. Arisa glanced up, noticing that the person who opened the door was not Victoria this time, but her mother. Yuffie Kisaragi smiled slightly, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. She was forty-three years old now, and age might have tempered her somewhat, but it did nothing to dim her fire. "Hey kiddo," she said, walking over to Arisa and crouching down by the bed. "You alright?"

She thought about saying nothing, but Yuffie reached out and tucked a strand of her short black hair behind her ear, placing another hand on her shoulder, and Arisa realized with a sudden churning of guilt that it would be rude not to say anything, so she looked up at her mother instead, her shoulders slumping in resignation. "Did Vickie send you?" she asked.

"Close," said Yuffie. "She went to your dad first and said you wouldn't leave your room. He sent me." She turned and flopped down onto the bed in front of Arisa, sitting up. "So, you want to talk about it?"

"What's there to talk about?" asked Arisa. "Grandpa's sick. He might be dying. You're gonna be Empress. I have to marry Ichiro."

"You don't _have _to marry him!" said Yuffie.

"Right, I forgot," said Arisa. "I have to find a nice Wutaiian man whose grandfather wasn't a traitor in any way, shape, or form, and who isn't working with Shinra. And I have to do that before you become Empress. My bad. Let me consult my highly-extensive social life." The words were unfair, and she knew it the moment they left her mouth, knew it from the sudden darkening of Yuffie's eyes and the tightening of her lips.

"Well, gee, if that's the way you talk to people, then no wonder," said Yuffie.

Arisa hung her head, lowering her eyes. She exhaled sharply. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm just...It's not even about Ichi, it's just..." She shook her head, looking up. "Is it true, about Grandfather?"

"Yeah..." said Yuffie, nodding slowly. "Yeah, he's pretty sick. But that stubborn old man says he'll be around for years yet. And after him, there's still me, so don't get ahead of yourself, missy. You're not going to be Empress for a _long _time." She jabbed a finger at Arisa's shoulder, forcing a smile. Arisa reminded herself that even though the two of them didn't get along, Godo was still her father.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

"I was gonna tell you today," said Yuffie, tousling Arisa's hair affectionately. "Ichi came early."

Arisa let out a shaky breath, leaning into her mother's touch. "I'm scared," she admitted. "If you become Empress, I'll have to be your Ambassador here. I don't know how to do that. And I don't know what to do with Ichi..."

"It doesn't bother you if he works with you, does it?" asked Yuffie, scooting back. "You guys used to play together all the time when you were kids."

Arisa shook her head. "It doesn't bother me," she said.

"Then you don't have to _do _anything about him," said Yuffie. "He'll be working in your department. That's all. You'll even be senior. You can ignore him if that's what you want." _  
_

Arisa perked up slightly at that. She'd forgotten about the fact that she technically had seniority here. Ichiro was just a transfer from Wutai's ninjas, after all. Arisa had been working with the WRO since she was old enough to enlist (which, admittedly, hadn't been much more than a year ago). "I get to push him around," she said.

"Don't overdo it," said Yuffie, grinning as she ruffled Arisa's hair. Arisa jerked back, away from her touch.

_"Mom!" _she said.

Yuffie laughed, jumping up. Arisa's hands immediately flew up to her head, trying to straighten out her hair. "Well, if you're feeling better now, you really should come down. Vinnie's still brooding about Ichiro being here in the first place. I can't take the both of you brooding at the same time. You know how it is."

Arisa thought about just staying here and shook her head, sliding her feet over the side of the bed. "Alright, I'm up," she said. "But, one more thing. That sword he was carrying. Is that really...?"

"Muramasa?" asked Yuffie, looking over her shoulder. "You bet. Old man Yamashita's been bragging about it for months."

"And can he really...?"

"Control it? About as well as you can."

Well, thought Arisa, as Yuffie left the room. That wasn't really much of a comfort.

XxXxX

Ella Crescent dreamed she was flying.

She was soaring above the clouds, up and up, and her single black wing stretched out behind her. The wind tugged at the fabric of her clothes, at her hair, pulling at her braid until it came undone, letting her deep red hair move back and forth in the breeze. She skimmed the tops of the clouds, and felt her heart swell with excitement. _Free_, she thought, pulling her wing close to her and twisting around. This was what freedom felt like. She was never more at ease than when she was in the air. She flew and flew, until the city of Edge was far beneath her, nothing more than a dot on the horizon, and she was moving, catching the breeze and dipping down beneath the clouds to skim the surface of the ocean, west and west, always heading west, chasing the sun. She didn't know why she was flying or where she was going, only that she had to keep moving, and the sensation of being above the clouds was so wonderful that she didn't want to stop anyway.

Farther and farther she went, over farmlands and forests, rivers, oceans, and deserts. She passed Junon and the Gold Saucer, caught sight of Cosmo Canyon and Nibelheim. She saw the WRO war camp now, nothing more than a collection of tents in the desert, the desert spreading around them for miles, and thought about drifting down to say hello to her brother, to see how he was doing, but the winds urged her further on, sweeping her towards a dark patch of ground just at the edge of the camp. The Rift, she knew, and a part of her mind knew she had to stay away, but the danger seemed so far away, the Rift so far below her, and it really was beautiful from above, a collection of colorful lights blinking down in the gorge. Her wing changed direction, instinct drawing her further down, and she went with it. It was just a canyon, after all. She had flown into Cosmo Canyon before, and nothing had happened to her.

How could something so beautiful be wrong?

That was until a dark tendril brushed against her mind, and her eyes widened, fear flooding through her. She struggled to break free, to fly upward, but she had flown too close to the Rift. The darkness reached up, threatening her, enveloping her. It pulled her so tightly against it that she couldn't breathe, dragged her down into the depths, no matter how she struggled, no matter how many times she reached for her weapon.

The last thing she said as her head was dragged under was her brother's name...

Ella gasped, sitting up. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes, her heart pounding as she looked around her. She was seated at her desk in her room, the morning light already starting to filter in through the windows. Ella glanced down, at the open anatomy textbook on her desk, her heart still pounding from the dream. A glossy diagram of the human circulatory system looked back up at her, and she rubbed her eyes, realizing that she must have fallen asleep after getting up early to study. She was already in her school uniform sans her jacket, dressed in a white blouse, a tie, a pleated plaid skirt, socks, and school shoes. Her long red hair was braided, the braid falling down to the small of her back. She blinked, glancing at the clock on the wall, then immediately started searching the area for black feathers. Sometimes, when she dreamed the flying dreams, she called up her wing in her sleep. Finding none, she relaxed, leaning back and rubbing at her eyes.

_A nightmare, _she told herself. _Too little sleep. Too many snacks before bed. _It meant nothing. It was just a dream.

Her fingers drifted lightly over the black folder beside her book on the desk, taking note of the silver emblem embossed on it as she started to calm down. They moved over the words on the page. _Junon Medical Center, Application Packet. _Beside it was another packet, smaller this time, bearing the simple printed logo of the WRO. The sound of footsteps running up the stairs startled her, and she quickly buried both packets underneath a pile of notebooks and old test papers, turning towards the door. It burst open, admitting a young man about her age, with a shock of bright red hair. He was dressed like she was, in a beige uniform jacket with a logo embossed over the pocket-two interlocking diamonds, one white and the other black, with the acronym MIST underneath in black block letters: _Midgar-Edge Institute of Science and Technology._ Unlike her, he wore pants, and his jacket open, and he didn't bother with the tie. She immediately jumped up, slinging her long, reddish-brown braid back over her shoulder.

"Ella! Breakfast!" he called.

Ella sighed, and rather than asking him exactly what he was doing in her house getting breakfast, she raised her arms over her head and stretched, slowly pushing herself to her feet. The anatomy book with its glossy pages still lay open on her desk. She closed it, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. If she wasn't ready for the test now, she would never be, she supposed. "How long have you been here?" she asked, picking the jacket up from the back of her chair and shrugging into it. She adjusted it so that it was straight, buttoning it according to regulations and slipping her uniform tie inside.

He shrugged. "Twenty minutes, maybe?" he said. "Your mom said you were studying, so I didn't come upstairs. Got a test today?"

"Mm. Midterm. Shouldn't be too hard." She glanced back at her desk, making sure both folders were hidden. The last thing she needed was for Kane to start asking questions. She glanced at the calendar, mentally counting down the months until graduation and the amount of time she had left to make her decision, before grabbing her school bag off its hook and walking over to the door. There, Ella paused, and sniffed, grabbing Kane's collar by two fingers and glancing at a round stain on it. "Is this...jet fuel?" she asked.

"Huh?" He blinked, glancing down. "Uh...mm, yeah. I went down to the WRO hangar to check on the Mark 7, put in those new bolts we were talking about. Old man Cid yelled at me some-the usual."

Ella frowned, glancing at the clock. It was still early-they had a good hour to go before they were supposed to be at school, and the WRO building was on the other side of the city from her house. Kane's little pet project-the experimental Mark 7 airship that Cid Highwind said would be the pride of the WRO's Air Force once it was completed-didn't exactly require a minimal time commitment; because of the sophistication of the design, even the smallest changes took time. Her mind immediately went through the math, counting hours. "Did you sleep _at all_?" she asked, incredulous. She followed him down the stairs.

"Some," said Kane with another shrug. "I slept in Renegade's cockpit, so I could finish up that lab report. The old man let me use the hangar computers but not the Network. Not authorized. That was what the yelling was about-had to check a reference." He rubbed at a crick in his neck. "Don't worry," he added, noticing her expression. "This is a spare uniform. I changed."

She shook her head. "I wasn't even thinking about that," she said. "Why didn't you study at home?"

Kane paused, glancing over his shoulder at her. "My dad's home," he said. When she said nothing, he continued to walk, not looking back to see if she was following. "It was too loud to study."

"You could have come here," said Ella. It wouldn't be the first time Kane had spent the night on their couch. Reno had a habit of dropping by Edge during or close to finals, and when he came by, he usually brought friends. Kane shrugged.

"Could've, but it was cold last night. The hangar was closer. And anyway, I wanted to check on Renegade and the Mark 7. Which reminds me, the old man wants me to take Renegade out for a few turns around the track tonight, out in the Wasteland. Do you want to come, or are you busy?"

She thought about it. Normally, she would have agreed to come, but her dream still left a bad taste in her mouth. Flying, then falling...But Kane looked so eager, and she didn't really have a reason _not _to go. "Fine," she said. "I'll be there."

Kane nodded, and the two of them made their way into the kitchen. Ella smelled the food before she saw it, and Kane already had a plate in his hands, and he gestured at another. "Eggs?" he asked. She waved him off, a 'maybe later'. Her attention was caught by something else, the newspaper on the table. By itself, there wasn't really anything special about it, but it looked as though it had been placed down hastily, and her father's seat was pulled back, his mug of coffee half-empty. She listened, but she couldn't hear him moving around the house.

"Did you see my dad when you came in?" she asked Kane.

"Sure," said Kane, sliding some eggs and a few slivers of bacon onto his plate. He jabbed his thumb in the direction of the door. "Outside, on the phone. He gave me that look as I came walking up, but didn't say anything. Looked important."

"What look?" asked Ella, frowning at him.

"That one, right there," said Kane, pointing at her face. She blinked, immediately trying to relax her expression. "Are you going to eat? Your mom said she had to leave early for work, but to make sure you had breakfast."

Ella sat automatically, reaching for a glass of orange juice. Her mind was still on the newspaper, and the fact that her father had been outside on the phone for twenty minutes or more. There weren't many things that could keep the WRO's military general on the phone for that long this early in the morning, besides significant news from the front. And news from the front usually meant her brother. "Did you hear anything, while you were at the WRO hangar?" she asked Kane, taking a small bite of eggs.

"Anything like?" asked Kane, looking up at her.

"News," said Ella. "Activity. Anything."

"They were buzzing around a bit when I left, but I couldn't hear anything really significant," he said. "The hangar's kind of away from the rest of the action, and you know I don't have the security clearance to go too far into the building. I'm just a volunteer. But if anything happened to Aidan, it would be bigger news, you'd think."

"Yeah, you're right." Ella stabbed at her breakfast sullenly, shoveling food into her mouth as she stared at the empty space at the table and the cup of coffee in front of her. If it was Aidan, it probably wasn't anything _too _bad. No matter how remote the hangar was, if something had happened to the WRO's ace, he would definitely have heard about it. But that didn't change the fact that something _had _happened. Her father, outside on work business a full hour before office hours started, and her mother, leaving for work early with breakfast half-cooked. And something else Kane had mentioned: a Turk, the _second-in-command_ of the Turks in the city. Was he just here to visit Kane, or was he on business? And how easy would it be to throw a party at home, on a night when he _knew _Kane would want quiet to study, to drive Kane from the building so that business could start. A WRO Intelligence member might know, Arisa or Victoria. Caden. Maybe even Raine. Any one of them might tell her something if she pressed.

Caden Fair had a sibling out on the front too. Maybe she could use that to gain footing with him-a mutual concern for family members in harm's way. Maybe-

She paused to chew her food, stopping that line of thought before it could start. She had no business meddling in the WRO's affairs. She wasn't WRO, and wasn't even sure she intended to be. At the moment, she was just a high school student, being the sister of the WRO's most promising field officer and the daughter of its military director and one of its most prominent intelligence agents didn't automatically make her qualified to know all of its business. And if she knew more than most should, it was because her mother had explicitly said that she trusted her discretion. She took another bite of food and let out the breath she was holding, only to notice that Kane was watching her.

"What?" she asked.

"You've got that look again," said Kane. "What are you planning?"

"Nothing," said Ella, taking another bite of food. "Let's just hurry up and go. I want to get to school early today."

Kane frowned at her, and it was obvious from his expression that she didn't buy it, but he knew her well enough to know not to force the issue. He nodded, turning back to his own meal.

XxXxX

Victoria Valentine waited until the moment when both her father and Arisa were at the door of the Intelligence office, their attention fixed on Ichiro, and used that time to stretch leisurely, tearing her eyes away from her computer screen. Her hand slid down to under her desk, fishing her cellphone out of her pocket as she craned her head in time to view the screen. Her thumb tapped out a quick message on the touch screen, and she was back at her computer typing out lines of code the next time Vincent looked up. The message she'd typed was simple: **When are you coming back? **The message sent, joining an increasingly long line of messages, all from her side as they awaited a response from their intended recipient. The last reply, one that she had received two days ago, had been a very short: **Busy. Will know soon. **

She placed her phone back in her pocket, placing both hands back on her desk and trying to listen in on the conversation. The three of them were talking in hushed tones, making it difficult for her to overhear anything, even with her slightly enhanced hearing. Ichiro's orientation to the WRO Intelligence Bureau might have been earlier that morning, if the three of them hadn't walked in on a flurry of activity. Yuffie had kept the young ninja in the Ambassador's office for the first two hours of the day, running errands for her while Vincent and Arisa tried to sort everything out. Victoria, as usual, was left at her desk still decoding the last set of reports from the front, out of the loop. All she knew was that there had been a Rift-related incident somewhere that was definitely _not _a Rift-related area, and the people in charge were still trying to get in touch with the reporting agent to figure out more. The agent himself wasn't answering, after the call for help, they'd lost all communications. She drummed her fingers on the desk, keeping her face smooth to conceal her agitation and trying not to think it might actually be him.

She resisted the urge to send another message, reminding herself that this was just his nature. He'd always been bad at keeping in touch, even in reporting to base. The fact that he wasn't responding didn't mean that he'd been involved. She immediately turned her attention back to the screen as the people in the doorway looked her way, focusing on her work.

_It's not him, _she told herself, placing her hands back on the keyboard. She kept her eyes focused on the screen, the rhythmic _tap-tap-tap _of keys filling the room. _It can't be him. __You'll know who it is soon. Relax. _

Relax.

She took another breath, glancing back down at her phone as Vincent looked away. Maybe one more. One more message.

**If you're still alive, call me.**

There. That was enough. Surely even he couldn't ignore that. Once he caught wind that something was happening, he'd report to base, if only to reassure his parents that he was still alive. Victoria held onto that at least, looking back at the screen. It would be alright. He would call soon. It would be alright. He would call soon.

"Vincent!"

The sound of Cissnei's voice made Victoria look up. The bureau's second-in-command looked slightly winded, as though she had just run from one end of the building to the other. Victoria felt a mixture of alarm and relief run through her. If Cissnei was here, she had news. For better or for worse.

"Where's Caden?" asked Cissnei. "I need him."

"Security borrowed him," said her father, looking up. "They needed him to retrieve a suspect."

"Well, un-borrow him," said Cissnei. "It's urgent."

"What happened?" asked Vincent, frowning at her.

"They found him," said Cissnei. "It's Raine."

Victoria's cellphone slipped out of her hand, clattering to the office floor.

XxXxX

**PROFILE 003: Arisa**

**Name: **Arisa Kisaragi

**Age: **19

**Birthday: **October 9

**Blood Type: **O

**Hometown: **Wutai (Born in Edge)

**Hair Color: **Black

**Eye Color: **Red

**Mother: **Yuffie Kisaragi

**Father: **Vincent Valentine

**Siblings: **Victoria (19)

**Occupation: **WRO Intelligence Bureau, Wutai Royal Family

**Notable: **Arisa was born five minutes before her younger sister Victoria, making her the heir to Wutai and the one to carry on the Kisaragi family name. She takes this responsibility seriously, and it's often been theorized that she named her gun "Giri (Duty)" to remind her of this fact. Arisa has the best and worst of both her parents personalities, in that she has Yuffie's charisma coupled with Vincent's practicality, but also Yuffie's temper coupled with Vincent's broody streak, making her personality very volatile. She doesn't have an off switch. Her twin Victoria has the opposite set of traits-optimistic and yet reserved, analytical without brooding, and with a dry sense of humor, leading others to comment that if Yuffie and Vincent are day and night, Arisa and Victoria are fire and ice.

In part because her father is only partly Wutaiian, and in part to strengthen ties among the Wutaiian nobility, Arisa has been betrothed to Ichiro Yamashita since infancy, by order of Emperor Godo Kisaragi. Her mother has managed to modify the contract so that it only takes effect if Arisa is unable to find a husband by the time she turns 25, the traditional age at which a Wutaiian woman might be considered an old maid.


	4. Chapter 4

**Our Generation**

**By:**

**Mystwalker**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Final Fantasy VII.

**A/N: **And we're past the introduction! Thank you, **CupofTeaforAliceandHatter** for your review!

XxXxX

Arielle Fair woke with the sudden, inexplicable feeling that something was terribly wrong.

She opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling of the command tent and listening for any alarms. The night was still, the only sounds coming from outside the usual sounds of soft conversation and booted feet-sounds she had learned to tune out. Beside her, Aidan slept peacefully, one arm draped loosely around her waist. Ari frowned, glancing at him. It was rare that she woke before him, especially during an emergency. Aidan was always wary out on the front, even in sleep.

She turned her head to the side, glancing at the clock on the nightstand. 3:19. Well before any sort of shift change or activity in the camp. Was it just a nightmare? Whatever it was, the uneasy feeling deep in her gut wasn't going to let her go back to sleep. She sighed, disentangling herself from the covers and the warm presence beside her and sitting up to reach for her clothes. She was just gathering them up in her hands when Aidan stirred, looking over at her. His green eyes shone in the dim light coming in from under the tent flaps. There was no trace of sleep in them. Aidan tended to wake all at once, more so now than before. It made her frown slightly as she thought about how this war was affecting him—affecting both of them.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She shrugged, smiling slightly as she tossed her hair over her shoulder and reached for her shirt. Her own uniform was the standard WRO uniform, but in black instead of white and cream. _To contrast Aidan's, _Ari thought, smiling at the memory of how that had come about. "I can't sleep," she said.

"Neither can I." She felt warm hands settle onto her waist, his eyes flashing in the dark. "Come back to bed?"

The tone of his voice and the promise in it sent a shiver down her spine, and for a moment, she was tempted, but the feeling quelled those thoughts. She shook her head, pulling her shirt on. "I think something's wrong," she said. "I'm going to go check it out."

Aidan's expression shifted, and he went from amorous lover to battlefield commander in an instant. "Something wrong?" he asked. "There's been an incident?"

"I don't know," Ari replied. "I just...I don't know. Something _feels _off. It's probably nothing though." She got up, pulling on her shorts and reaching for her boots. She heard the sheets rustle behind her as Aidan started to sit up.

"I should come with you," he said.

Ari shook her head, a little too quickly. "No," she said. "No. Like I said, it's probably nothing. You need sleep." _You've been getting so little of it lately. _She got up, tossing her hair over one shoulder and fastening the leather harness that allowed her sword to strap onto her back. "If anything's going on, I can handle it."

Aidan frowned at her. "You're sure?" he asked.

"I'm sure," said Ari, working her hair into a quick braid. After two years in the WRO's service, dressing in the dark had become almost second nature. She reached for her broadsword, the one propped up beside the bed, and hefted it in one hand easily. Ari slung it over her back, snapping it against the magnetic sheath. The familiar weight reassured her, and her hand lingered on the hilt before it fell back against her side. She looked over her shoulder, flashing him a smile. "Really, go back to sleep," she said. "I shouldn't take too long."

Aidan seemed reluctant, but he nodded, laying back against the pillow. "You'll be careful?" he asked.

"Always," she said, turning away from him and walking towards the tent flap. She pushed it open with her forearm, stepping into the main portion of the tent. Ari walked past the map table with its charts, the writing desk with paperwork piled high, and stepped out into the cool night air. Outside, the camp was still. She caught sight of lights from the watchtowers that surrounded it and heard the sounds of the soldiers on duty, but beyond that, most people were asleep. Barring an attack, the camp wouldn't burst into activity until dawn, when someone on watch would send out a signal to wake the sleepers. She glanced around, but other than the odd sense of wrongness she felt, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Was it just paranoia, or something else? A warning from the Planet? Ari walked through the camp, counting the hours in her head. Three in the morning out here was around nine, Midgar Standard Time. Enough time for something to go wrong at headquarters. A chill ran through her. Were her brothers okay? Kieran...he was on assignment, wasn't he? While she didn't know much about what her brother did as a Turk, she knew he led a dangerous life. And Caden—working for WRO Intel wasn't without its own risks. She couldn't even imagine what she would do if something happened to her brothers. And her parents—they weren't as young as they used to be. If Edge had suffered some sort of attack—.

_Don't be silly, _she told herself, shaking her head. Edge was oceans away from the Rift, and leagues away from the last place where any sort of Rift-related activity had occurred. It had the WRO base within spitting distance, including the hangar that housed the airship fleet, and headquarters right in the middle of the city. And it was home to a good chunk of AVALANCHE's former members. They might not be young, but that didn't mean they were useless. It was probably the most secure place on the Planet right now. If anything, her parents should have been worried about _her_. She nodded at a pair of patrolling soldiers as they saluted her, scanning the horizon. She was tempted to go to the garage and fire up her motorcycle, just to make sure that everything was alright between camp and the Rift, but the moment she thought it, she realized it was a bad idea. Riding out towards the Rift alone was a risky proposition, even for her, and the darkness presented its own hazards. Besides, her precious Valkyrie was still undergoing repairs from the last sortie.

Her feet carried her in that direction anyway, her mind flashing back to the first time she had ridden Valkyrie out into the field. The motorcycle came from the same line as Cloud Strife's Fenrir and Raine's Sleipnir, a swift dark machine that had earned her her nickname. Cloud had had it modified for her to allow her to carry her broadsword, as well as a smaller blade for her off-hand. Valkyrie had been with her since her first stationing at Nibelheim, well before she had joined Aidan out here.

Ari stopped in front of the garage, making a quick circuit around the building and looking out at the rest of the camp. Aside from the way the sky darkened and shimmered, blocking out the stars in the direction of the Rift, the camp seemed fairly normal. She paused, resting one hand on her waist as she studied the surrounding area. Maybe it _was _just a dream after all. She could stand to go back to bed, perhaps get a few more hours of sleep. Or, she mused as she set out in that direction, if Aidan was still awake when she got back, a few hours _less__._

She was thinking that through when the attack came.

Ari turned, jumping back and out of the way as two golden blades cut through the night, heading towards her. The blades missed her, slamming point down into the ground where she had just been a few moments ago. Her sword was in her hand before she could even process what was happening, her eyes drawn towards a sudden streak of movement in the dark. The blades shimmered in the ground, and Ari felt her eyes drawn towards them as they began to break apart, pieces glowing brightly before fading away.

_Light...? _

A figure rushed out of the darkness, shooting towards her. Ari jumped back, raising her sword up to protect herself. She caught the attack with the flat of her blade, the force behind it pushing her back. Light flared up where the two connected, allowing her to see her opponent clearly for an instant. It was a man, young, with fine features. His hair was a dark brown, cut short and falling into his eyes, and he was dressed in garb she had never seen before-a pair of loose trousers and a dark shirt, with a cloak fastened around his shoulders. His eyes were the most remarkable thing about him. They were of different colors, one gold and one blue, both glowing.

He jumped back, and three blades of light rushed towards her. Ari got her sword up in time to block two, ducking her head to dodge the third. She swept her blade through the air, gripping it in both hands and jumping up. Ari raised it, prepared to bring it down over his head, but he moved more quickly than she could have predicted, and her sword sliced through empty air. He held both of his hands out in front of him, and she saw him smirk out of the corner of his eye, his palms raised towards her. Light flared up in his hands, and she was forced to turn in mid-air, raising her sword to block him as multiple small blades of light shot out from his palms. The force behind it threw her back onto the ground. She quickly jumped up, flipping over and getting back to her feet. Ari ran forward, her blade slicing through the air as she cut at his waist.

He jumped backwards and out of the way, flipping over in the air. One of his hands flung out towards her, and she quickly twisted aside, avoiding another blade of light. He turned like a dancer, his cloak fluttering behind him as he brought another hand down. Light gathered in that hand, sending a crescent-shaped blade towards her. She grit her teeth, raising her sword. The blade struck the edge of her sword, parting in two, and Ari charged forward, her sword raised high above her head. The man raised his right hand, light forming in it in the shape of a sword. It blocked hers, holding her blade still above his head. Ari's eyes widened.

_He blocked me with one hand..._

Her thought was cut off as the man swiped out with his left hand, another blade forming in it. Ari jumped back, breaking the block between them as the second blade passed inches from her belly. He charged towards her, swiping out with his right hand blade. Ari quickly raised her sword to block it, but the moment the blade connected with hers it dispersed, forming several smaller blades that zoomed around her sword, cutting into her arms and her side. She let out a cry of pain and surprise, jumping back to put distance between them as he charged in, one blade in hand.

She held her ground, holding her sword in a defensive position as she looked down at her body. The cuts were shallow but present, thin cuts along her arms and her side. Ari grit her teeth, glaring at him as he rushed towards her. This time, she swatted away his blade when he came to attack, cutting diagonally across with her own blade. He pulled back just in time to avoid getting cut, and she quickly reversed direction, manipulating the heavy sword so that it cut up instead of down. He stepped back again, blocking that with a new sword of light in his right hand. His mismatched eyes gleamed as he stabbed at her shoulder with his left hand sword. She blocked it, but didn't give him time to make it disperse, taking a step forward and stabbing at his torso. He took a step back, and she turned, using the motion to give her power as she slashed at his chest.

He stepped back, but the tip of her blade caught the clasp of his cloak. The cloak tore, fluttering to the ground behind him. She heard the rustle of wings, saw feathers fall.

Ari's eyes widened. The man had wings. Not just the one wing that she had seen General Sephiroth and Ella Crescent summon, but a full pair, a single black wing on each side of his body. The wings were slightly outstretched, feathers swirling in the wind between the two of them. Her grip on her sword faltered. "Who...are you?" she asked.

"Uriel," said the man, his eyes narrowing at her. "Of the Angels." He held out his hand.

Ari managed to get her sword in time as light shot towards her, golden light slamming into the flat of her sword and knocking her back. The beam slipped through her defenses, cutting a long gash down her left side. She let out a gasp of pain, stumbling back and falling to her knees.

When the light cleared, the man was gone, leaving only feathers where he had once been.

She stared at the space where he had once been standing, her sword in both hands. Behind her, she heard the sound of running feet. The battle had alerted the sentries, she assumed. She shifted her sword to one hand, trying to get up, but her side screamed in pain, and she grit her teeth, stumbling to one knee as she grabbed at it with her free hand. When she looked down at her hand, it came away red with blood.

A hand closed around her arm, helping her to her feet. Ari looked, recognizing the man as Garis, a member of her old squad.

"Colonel Fair!" said another man, running towards them. He had another with him, his sword in his hand. His eyes widened as he saw your injury.

"You're hurt," he said.

"I'm fine," she said, pulling away from Garis. She managed to stay on her feet, but didn't risk trying to replace her sword at her back, instead keeping it in her hand with the tip pointed towards the ground. She looked around. There were more of them, about three or four. All of the ones on watch. She caught sight of Ryosuke standing by one of the tents, his own curved katana in hand.

"Your orders?" asked Garis from beside her.

Ari took a deep breath. "Sound the alarm," she said. "There was an intruder in the camp."

XxXxX

The WRO's medical wing looked like any hospital at first glance, except it was smaller, and in this part of the world, didn't see entirely that much use. In his bed at the end of the hall, Raine Strife looked almost as though he could have been sleeping, if it wasn't for the bandages wrapped around his chest and the bloodied clothes that no one had yet had time to clean up. His mother sat in a chair next to him, smoothing his dark hair out of his eyes with a worried expression on her face, his father was in the hall outside, talking to Reeve and the Vice-Commissioner. Standing in the corner of the room with her eyes fixed on the scene in front of her, Victoria felt very much like an outsider.

_I should get back to work_, she thought, but her feet wouldn't move. She couldn't look away. Her mind kept replaying the same images over and over again. The wounds—.

_Caused by multiple blades. Projectiles. _She knew the doctor's report, and yet something about that felt wrong. Projectiles were bound by gravity in some manner. She used them herself. Some of the cuts on Raine earlier had almost looked like the weapon was moving _up_. _This shouldn't have happened_, she thought, watching as a nurse came in and spoke to Tifa in a soft voice. Tifa nodded, sitting up. The bartender's face was lined with worry, but she was strong. She didn't break down or start crying. Instead, she simply held her son's hand as the nurse walked away, then got up to go reach for her phone.

_Probably calling Zeke..._Victoria thought. She wondered if the youngest Strife would have to be pulled out of school for this. If it were Arisa...

If it were Arisa, it would be a national emergency and international incident. Victoria knew she shouldn't think that way.

Down in the hallway, someone was cursing. Victoria recognized the voice and the tone. Raine had been brought in by an airship of the WRO's fleet, _Sweet Sara. _It was captained by Sara Highwind, the only one of Cid's daughters that had shown any interest in flight. And unlike her ship name, she wasn't typically considered _sweet_. She winced inwardly, listening as Sara yelled at some poor unfortunate soul to hurry and find out who had done this before certain spears made contact with certain body parts, but on some level, she agreed. A part of her wanted to run out and find who had done this herself, to unleash hell on them. Her hand fingered the pouch where she kept her shurikens, her eyes fixed on the scene in front of her.

_You don't take the field_, she reminded herself. _You work in cyber security._ _Remember? _

Tifa's eyes met hers as the older woman left the room, and she nodded, lowering her eyes and making for the door. It opened and closed with a hiss, sliding shut to mark the Strife matron's passing.

And then they were alone.

Victoria hesitated, then walked up to the bed, unsure what she was going to say. Up close, Raine looked less like he was sleeping. His face was pale, his eyes closed, and although he was breathing smoothly, the heart monitors reminded her that that might change at any moment. A part of her wanted to reach out as Tifa had done, but she kept her hands at her sides, looking down at him. _This shouldn't have happened..._she thought again. "You were supposed to come home..." she said, her voice soft even to her own ears. "You were on your way home."

_You were on your way home to me. _

Her throat closed up. If things had been different—if Raine had made it home whole and unhurt, would she have been saying anything else? Would she have finally told him what she'd been meaning to say all these years?

She couldn't say. And now wasn't the time anymore. Her hand curled at her side, her eyes fixed on him.

She was gone before Tifa came back again.

XxXxX

**PROFILE 004: Aidan**

**Name: **Aidan Crescent

**Age: **24

**Birthday: **March 22

**Blood Type: **AB

**Hometown: **Edge

**Hair Color: **Silver

**Eye Color: **Green (Mako)

**Mother: **Cissnei

**Father: **Sephiroth

**Siblings: **Ella (18)

**Occupation: **WRO Military Division, Field General

**Notable: **Known as the White Dragon, Aidan Crescent has been making waves in the WRO military division since first joining it at age 18. As he works directly under his father, who is the WRO's military head, the similarities between the two of them have been noted. However, unlike Sephiroth, who in the height of his popularity was mostly aloof, Aidan is personable and charismatic, and has been known to spend time boosting the morale of his troops, leading his father to compare him to Angeal in that regard. Like his mother, Aidan longs for the freedom of the sky, and has been noted to say that he wishes he also shared his father and sister's ability to grow wings.

He uses twin katanas, leading some to draw comparison between him and Weiss the Immaculate, however, the resemblance is _usually _dispelled after talking to him. Aidan has modified the standard WRO uniform to include a longer white coat and allowances for his swords, part of what earned him his nickname.

Aidan dotes on his younger sister, Ella, and is very protective of her. His relationship with his subordinate, Arielle Fair, is an open secret among the troops in their camp, especially among the members of Arielle's former squad, however, because of their differences in rank, their relationship has never been acknowledged publicly. Their relationship goes back four years, even before Ari entered basic training. The couple would often meet in the Sector 5 church under the pretext of sparring (which, in fairness, did actually happen most of the time).

Zack still doesn't know.


	5. Chapter 5

**Our Generation**

**By:**

**Mystwalker**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Final Fantasy VII.

**A/N: **Well, here's the fifth chapter! Now to go back to **Another Side.**

Thanks go to **Meteor Panda, haitechan, Eavenne, **and **DJ Meltdown of Ground Xero** for your reviews and support! It's much appreciated! I'm glad you guys like Aidan x Ari, and **Meteor Panda, **I'm really glad you're starting to like the story and the characters. **Eavenne, **do I need to spell it out, lol?

XxXxX

The second Kane set foot in the WRO hangar, he knew he wasn't alone. A figure stood beside the small racing plane in the corner, waiting for him. Her eyes were fixed on the plane's red and black paint, fingers tracing the name painted on the plane's side: _Renegade_. She had a spear in one hand, her back towards him. Her _left _hand, Kane realized. That, if nothing else, told him who this was. He felt a grin come onto his face as he flipped the lights on, the hangar's fluorescent lights coming to life. "What?" he asked, stepping towards her. "They send you back already?"

She whirled, raising her spear. When she saw him, the woman raised a brow, but lowered the tip, keeping her eyes on him. Kane watched her, arms folded.

At first glance, Sara Highwind was beautiful. She had long, pale blond hair that tumbled down her back in windswept ringlets, and wide, cornflower blue eyes, all set in a heart-shaped face that she had inherited from her mother. She looked like the stereotypical country beauty, until she opened her mouth at least. "Fuck, kid, you scared me," she said, pulling her spear back to her side.

"_I_ scared you?" asked Kane. "You're the one skulking around the hangar in the dark."

"I could see just fine," said Sara, a small grin coming onto her face. "Ain't my fault you're blind as a bat. Don't you have school or somethin'? What time is it?"

"Two-thirty," said Kane. "I'm off for the day. They're letting me work on my senior project." MIST had never really been structured like a normal high school. As a senior, Kane had even more leeway with his schedule than he'd had as a freshman, assuming, of course, that he had something to show for it at the end of the year. That suited him just fine. He was getting to the point in his studies where he'd rather be out here than in school anyway.

"Oh, that's right," said Sara. "Forgot you were graduating this year. They gonna make you wear that cap and gown shit?"

Kane shook his head. "Nah," he said, shrugging off his backpack and depositing it onto a workbench. "Complete uniforms."

Sara snorted, giving Kane's disheveled uniform a once-over. "Seriously?" she asked. "Where was the last place you saw your tie?"

He shrugged. "Freshman orientation?" He remembered going over to Ella's house after their first day at MIST, taking the tie off and tossing it...somewhere. It was probably gathering dust behind the Crescents' couch or something like that. He made a mental note to go find it soon. But not too soon. The thing was a choking hazard while working in the hangar, and besides that, was just uncomfortable. "What are you doing here anyway?" he asked, changing the subject. _  
_

In response, Sara gestured at _Renegade _with her free hand. "Just checkin' on the old girl," she said. "I like the paint job. Your idea?" Kane nodded in response. The _Renegade's _black and red color scheme was a far cry from the blue and white plane that Sara had won races in all those years ago, but in spirit the plane was still the same. Sara propped her spear against the side of the plane, folding her arms. "Pops says you're thinkin' of racin' her."

Kane shrugged again. "Maybe." It had been Cid's idea to enter _Renegade _in the winter races. Despite the fact that Kane loved flying and was excited by the _prospect _of racing, he was also scared of the possibility that he might lose. "Old man Cid thinks it's about time."

Sara nodded in agreement. "I'll come out to watch if you do," she said. "So long as Reeve doesn't send me off the edge of the world again." She dug into her jacket pocket, and it struck Kane that as she did, her eyes moved towards the floor, a shadow creeping into them for a moment. He paused, his fingers lingering on the edge of the work table as he turned towards her. He took a breath, trying to figure out the best way to broach the subject.

"So, uh, why are you here?" he asked. "Aren't you still on tour?"

"We had a medical emergency," said Sara, drawing a packet out of the inside pocket of her jacket. At first, Kane worried it might be a pack of cigarettes, the same thing Cid might have used, but as Sara shook out a stick, he realized that it was just gum. She unwrapped it, popping it into her mouth and handing the box out to him. "Want one?" Kane shook his head and she shrugged, putting it away.

"Suit yourself," she said. He waited as Sara chewed and thought, her arms folded and her eyes downcast. At last, she sighed, her shoulders rippling with the motion. "We found Raine in critical condition."

"Shit," said Kane. The look she shot him told him that he had taken the words right out of her mouth. "Is he alive?"

"He'll live," said Sara. "Probably. The medical ward says he'll wake up soon."

"How's the bike?" asked Kane. At Sara's incredulous glance, he added, "You know that's the first thing Raine'll ask when he wakes up."

"Sleipnir could use some work," Sara admitted. "She's in _Sweet_'s hold."

"I'll take a look at it later," promised Kane. He didn't really have time to be fixing a motorcycle on top of everything else, but it wasn't as though he was in any hurry to get home. As if Sara could sense the turn his thoughts were taking as he looked away, she changed the subject.

"How are you, kid?" she asked, frowning at him. "Really? Your old man giving you any more trouble?"

Kane waved a hand dismissively, not really looking at her. "Same old, same old," he said. And then, because it was Sara and because she and her family had been there for him almost as much as the Crescents had in the past, he added, "He forgot to pay the electric bill again. Nearly got the power shut off. It was right before the start of the school year. Had a crap-ton of summer homework to finish."

"Fuck," Sara swore. "What d'you do?"

"I called Tseng," Kane replied. The look Sara gave him bordered on impressed.

"You told on him to his boss?" asked Sara. "What then?"

"Well, he paid the electric bill," said Kane, frowning. "Got all pissy about it though. The other night, he showed up and threw a party." He felt a flash of irritation run through him again, and he clamped down on it, one of his hands clenching into a fist. "Dammit, I had a midterm today, and he's over fifty. I should not have to put up with this shit."

The look Sara shot him as she stepped forward was concerned. Kane saw that and found himself feeling slightly guilty about it. She didn't need to hear about all his dirty laundry after bringing a friend home in condition like that. A night sleeping in the hangar never hurt anyone. "Well, kid, you know you don't have to," said Sara. "Ma and Pop like you, they'd take you in if you wanted. Heck, bet Pops would practically adopt you if you asked."

Kane snorted in spite of himself. "What kind of name is Kane Highwind?" he asked, looking over at her. At Sara's smile, he shook his head. "Nah, it's fine. I like my last name. It's not like _he _uses it. Besides, I only gotta deal with him for a few more months. Then I'm on my own. I put in my application for the Airship Division."

Sara nodded. "Pops told me," she said. "He says you wanna crew for _Shera_. You sure about that? I'm surprised that old tub can still get in the air."

Kane couldn't help it. He smiled. "Don't let your old man catch you saying that," he said. The thought of how Cid would react if he heard Sara insulting his ship was as potentially hilarious as it was terrifying. "Besides, she still flies. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. What do you want me to do? Crew for _Sweet Sara?"_

An odd expression crossed over Sara's face. If Kane had to try to place it, he would have said that she knew something he didn't. She took a step forward, but whatever she was about to say was drowned out by a sudden crashing noise, like thunder. The ground shook, and Kane heard the sound of metal screeching and twisting, smelt the sharp tang of ozone. He and Sara both turned around, Sara jumping back just as a shape crashed down from a gaping hole in the ceiling, clad in a blue cloak. The figure had black hair, blowing in the wind, and feathers graced the ground at his feet. Sara grabbed her spear, leveling the point at the intruder.

"Kane!" she shouted.

Kane didn't need to be told twice. His mind was already racing, trying to work through what needed to be done. He didn't have as much experience in combat situations as the others might, but he knew what he needed to do. He needed to trigger the alarm, and he needed to get Dullahan. He vaulted clear over the work bench, running for his locker. Kane threw it open, reaching for the weapon inside. At first glance, it was a staff, taller than he was. It was made of interlocking pieces of metal, each piece sliding smoothly into the other. Kane kicked the door closed, slamming his fist onto the alarm button and whirling around. The man had his hand out in front of him, sparks of lightning gathering at his fingertips. Sara charged at him with her spear, letting out a shout of fury. Around them, the alarms began to blare, red lights flashing as sirens sounded throughout the building. The intruder didn't seem to notice the sound—his eyes were fixed on her. Sara charged, her opponent side-stepping her first spear thrust. She stepped back, pulling her spear back and thrusting again, this time at his shoulder, and Kane swept the staff out in front of him. A scythe blade unfolded from the tip, gleaming crimson in the light coming from the alarms. He gripped the shaft loosely in his hand, spinning it over his head. The scythe blade whistled as it cut the wind. Kane had never used the weapon to fight more than a few monsters on the outskirts of town. He had no idea if it would hold against an actual opponent, particularly one that had managed to tear through the roof of the WRO hangar in one blow.

There was no time to think about that now, though. Sara needed his help. He shifted his weight from one foot to another, taking a deep breath.

With a yell, he charged into the fray just as the man kicked Sara aside, his scythe shining.

XxXxX

It was almost an hour by the time Aidan came to her, but even then, she felt like he had come too soon. The sounds of panic in the camp outside hadn't yet receded, and if she had her way, she would be out there with them, but the medic refused to let her out of the infirmary tent until he was sure she could stand under her own power. Instead she sat there, on a cot with bandages wrapped around her torso from chest to hip, listening as the base collapsed around her. It was impossible to tell what was happening outside, with people shouting at each other and running feet going every which way, but she didn't hear the sounds of battle, so she assumed all was going well. The rest gave her time to think through her own fight, process what had happened. Even then, she still didn't think she knew all of it.

_Uriel..._

Ari stared down at her hand, letting it close into a loose fist. The man had been from the Rift, that much she could tell. Those eyes, those wings, and those powers couldn't be from anywhere else. But beyond that, she was confused. Why did he come here? He said he was of the Angels, so that implied there were more of them. That in turn implied organization, and organization implied...

She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head. She wished her brother was here. In the chaos of the moment, she couldn't even think about which one she wanted at her side. Caden's presence would have been comforting, but Kieran would be able to sort through her thoughts with her, to follow through. Had Uriel been after information? Weaponry? Neither of those made any sense. He was next to the garage—not exactly the best place to search for information, and a man who could make his own swords didn't need any of their weapons. That left only one option, that he was after blood. But whose? Hers? He'd fought her, but he hadn't killed her, she'd managed to drive him away.

Aidan's? The thought made her shudder. Aidan was strong, still stronger than she was. But that man—his strength had been something else. If he'd caught Aidan unawares...She didn't even want to think about it.

Those were the thoughts passing through her mind when Aidan arrived, pushing the tent flap open with his forearm. He was dressed in his uniform, coat and all, with one of his katanas in his right hand. She gave him a quick once-over. Although he looked tired, stressed, and annoyed, there was no blood, neither on his clothes nor on his sword. He looked at her, but didn't smile—the expression on his face was that of a man preparing for battle. Still, she saw concern pass in front of his eyes as he came to stand in front of her. **  
**

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she said. Her eyes flicked towards the tent door. "You should really be back out there."

"Your squad can handle it for a little while," said Aidan. "It doesn't look like there's any sign of the intruder, but I'm having the men run another patrol just to be sure. Ryo is typing up a report to send back to base. I have a video call with the Commissioner in an hour."

"An hour?" asked Ari, surprised. "He couldn't get you in sooner than that?"

The smile Aidan gave her was wry. "Apparently we're not the only ones having trouble," he said. His expression softened, and his eyes passed over the bandages. They were hidden by her shirt for the most part, but through the tear in the fabric, they could still be seen. "I'm sorry you got hurt."

Ari put on a tired smile. "Not your fault," she said. "I'm a soldier, Aidan, it comes with the territory."

Aidan returned the smile briefly before that expression faded, becoming serious and concerned again. "I know. You're tough as nails," he said. "But can you blame me if I worry?"

"No," said Ari. _Especially because Minerva knows I worry about you all the time. _

"Can I do anything for you?" asked Aidan.

"You can see this through," said Ari, gesturing at the flap outside. She smiled at him again. "I'm stuck in here, but that doesn't mean we both have to be. Go be a hero, General."

"Alright." Aidan took a step forward, and leaned down, kissing her lightly on the forehead. "I'll be back," he said, turning around.

"I'll be here," said Ari. She hated this, having to stay behind while he went off to a fight. But since Materia use started becoming more and more regulated, this was what an injury like this forced her to do. She took a deep breath, watching as he turned away.

"Oh, by the way," said Aidan, pausing with one foot outside of the tent. He turned back towards her. "I didn't just come in here to check on you. Your mother called. She wants you to call her when you get the chance. She sounded worried."

Ari decided on not trying to work through how Aerith Fair knew she was injured before even Reeve did. With her mother, it was easier to just nod and accept things for what they were. She did just that. "I'll call her," she promised.

Aidan nodded back, turning around and exiting the tent.

XxXxX

The woman who brought him his tea was nervous, Kieran could tell. Even with the better reputation Shinra enjoyed, after six years in this job, it was a reaction he was used to. When he took off the suit—and for some missions, he did—he became just another man in the crowd, and no one gave him a second glance. But not this time. This was an official investigation into strange activity in Mideel, and for this, he needed to be visible. Kieran smiled a little to put her at ease, thanking her politely for the tea. As a child, people used to tell him he had nice eyes and an innocent face, in training, they put it a little differently. He had a disarming smile, the sort of smile people thought they could trust. He liked to think that most of the time, they could. She, at least, seemed a little more relaxed as she set the tea down, scurrying off into the tea house.

Kieran settled back into his seat outside, drawing the cup next to him and taking a sip of tea. He leaned back, watching the people in the streets and trying not to fall asleep. It wasn't the first time he had gone on a mission after pulling an all-nighter from a previous job and it probably wouldn't be the last, but it also wasn't the first time he'd wished for a drop of his siblings' mako-enhanced endurance. Still, the tea was strong, and it wasn't as though he didn't have his own gifts. On that thought, he set the cup down and thought about the Cetra.

Technically, part of the deal in his joining the Turks was that his Cetra abilities, and _responsibilities, _if such arose, were outside of his contract. Neither Tseng nor the President nor Len could command him to use them in a mission or in a fight. In practice, though, he found himself calling on his gifts more often than not. There were some things that he couldn't 'turn off' about his connection to the Lifestream, and when it came to tracking down a killer, it wasn't hard to find restless spirits willing to share all they knew. He was sure Tseng knew about his uses of his powers, otherwise why send him to Mideel, the place where the Lifestream ran closest to the surface?

He could feel it now, beneath his feet, a river of souls, light, and power sweeping beneath the earth. The Lifestream's pulse felt strong and unbroken to him, which made his being here even odder. Tseng had sent him out here to investigate a string of disappearances, ones whose circumstances suggested they might be magical in nature. But if anyone was using Materia, mako, or any other sort of Lifestream-related gift, he was sure he would have felt some trace of it by now. He didn't feel any of that, but neither did he feel any traces of the sort of magic he felt out by the Rift, suggesting that the disappearances weren't exactly Rift-related either. That left very few possibilities, and nothing he felt comfortable with thinking about. He had taken a walk around the town earlier, visiting some of the buildings where the missing people had vanished from and interviewing their relatives, but had found nothing linking them, besides the fact that they all lived in Mideel and had all disappeared without a trace.

A twelve year old girl, an elderly man, a newlywed couple. He held their faces in his mind, feeling his consciousness sinking back into the river beneath him. Kieran let his mind drift through it, but he could feel no trace of them in the Lifestream, nothing to show that they were indeed dead, or that they had passed on. He searched deeper, looking for any sort of clue, any hint, any anomaly, but each check continued to come up blank. As far as he could tell, the Lifestream was close to the surface, and it was a nice day.

"Sir," said a soft voice, snapping him back to reality. Kieran opened his eyes and saw the waitress from before standing over him, her tray clasped to her chest. She continued to give him that wide-eyed stare, as though he were a snake and she wasn't sure whether or not he would bite. "Sir?" she said, taking a step back. "Are you alright? You looked like you'd fallen asleep."

_Maybe I had. _Kieran wouldn't put the possibility past him, but he didn't see the need to burden him with that. Instead, he offered her another smile. "Thank you," he said. "It's such a nice day. I think the sun might be getting to me."

She perked up at that, a light appearing in her brown eyes. "It might be the mako pools," she said. "From—from the old war. Tourists sometimes get a little drowsy around them. The WRO says they're not harmful, though, as long as we don't go running around them."

WRO. He hadn't forgotten that the Eastern Continent was still well within the WRO's jurisdiction. Family connections or no, he'd have to tread carefully here. "It might be," said Kieran. "I, uh, get a little weird around mako."

"Everyone does," said the girl. And then, as if she had suddenly realized who she was talking to, she flushed, dropping her eyes. "Uh, 'sir'."

"You don't have to call me that," said Kieran. "I can't be that much older than you." When she shook her head, he realized that that line of conversation wasn't going anywhere. Kieran reached for his wallet. "Do you take Shinra credit? Or just cash?"

"C-Cash only, sir," said the girl, looking nervous. "Um, sorry for the inconvenience."

"Don't be," said Kieran, reaching into his wallet and counting out the gil. _It gives me a reason to prolong the conversation. _He counted out the price of the tea, plus a generous tip. "I know all about company policy," he added with a chuckle. The sun shone, gleaming against a string of gold around the young woman's neck. "That's a very nice necklace you have, Miss..."

The girl flushed, her hand going up to clasp the gold pendant. "...Aveline."

"Aveline," finished Kieran.

"It's, um, the symbol of Minerva," she said. "My mother got it after the war. She—." She trailed off, gesturing in the air. Kieran refrained from telling her that he knew all about the symbols of Minerva. He wondered how the girl would react if he revealed exactly whose son he was. It was a fun thought, but he was working, and when he was working, he was nobody's son.

"Miss Aveline," he said, setting down the payment for the tea on the table. He left the tip off for now, keeping that in his hand. "I was wondering if you might be able to help me with something."

Aveline stared at him. "Help you?" she asked. The words came out choked.

"I hear the town's been having a string of disappearances lately," said Kieran. "I was wondering if you might know anything about that." He kept the smile on his face, gesturing at the seat in front of him. The girl stared at him, blinking her wide, doe-like eyes. After a while, she took a deep breath, hesitantly lowering herself down. Her hands slowly unclasped from the locket and she leaned forward, slightly intrigued.

"Yes," she said, hesitantly. "Folk up and disappearing in the middle of the night. It's the talk of the town." She looked over at him. "You're here because of that?"

"I'm here to get to the bottom of it if I can," said Kieran. "I've talked to the little girl's parents. They don't seem to know anything about where she went. The old man's children and grandchildren all moved to the city. The couple...well, they didn't have anyone to leave."

A look of anger crossed Aveline's face briefly. Not much, but just enough to tell Kieran that, as with all small towns, things were not as idyllic as met the eye. "I—that girl's parents, they're—they wouldn't know anything. Not unless she caught them on a good day. They're—." She paused, obviously uncomfortable with sharing this much with a stranger, especially a stranger in a Turk suit. Her eyes flicked from left to right, and then she wet her lips with her tongue, leaning forward. "They're into sparks."

Kieran nodded solemnly. He wished he could say he was surprised, but after six years on the job, very little surprised him. Sparks, ground up residual mako crystals, had become the new scourge to sweep Gaia in recent years. Cut with another benign ingredient, the drug could produce a potent, and dangerous high. Mideel's mako pools would be an inevitable source, despite efforts by both the WRO and Shinra to crack down on distribution. Kieran's last target had dabbled in selling the stuff. He had the sort of desperate followers only drug lords or cult leaders could summon around them. If people in Mideel were refining the stuff to use by themselves, it was one thing. If they were selling or buying, it was another thing entirely. Still, he wasn't here to investigate drugs, he was here to investigate disappearances. For now, that bit about the girl's parents would have to remain an interesting footnote.

"Do you know if Lisa was the type to run away?" he asked, using the girl's name.

Aveline shook her head, her eyes wide with horror this time. "No," she said. "No, not Lisa. She loved her parents, even the way they were. She looked after them. She was taken, I'm sure, only—."

He knew where this was going. "No one heard anything," he finished for her.

She nodded, her hands clasped on the table in front of her. She stared down at them. "Only, I've heard someone say they saw Lisa that night...heading towards the mako pools. I can't say why she would have done that, unless—." **  
**

Kieran finished the thought._ Unless her parents sent her out to harvest for them. _That was new information, and something he could use. He fished the tip out of his wallet, laying it on the table. Aveline's eyes widened as she saw the amount. "Thank you," he said, placing his hand over hers and squeezing slightly. "I think you just gave me a lead."

He turned away, leaving her to collect her money and the dishes and making for the mako pools. His mind was still spinning with what the girl had told him. He hadn't thought of looking at this from a drug angle before. An old man living alone, a young couple, here in Mideel on their honeymoon. If they had been into drugs, or if they had gone near the mako pools for whatever reason...

What was going on in those pools? Kieran reached the boundary quickly, stepping over it without even looking around to see if anyone was watching. He ignored the warning signs. As a Turk, boundaries and locks really began to look like fluid things, more guidelines than actual rules. No one challenged him, and he made his way down the path and into the jungle. The day was hot and humid, sweat causing his hair to stick to the back of his neck. The smell of mako was heavy in the air, and it clung to him in a way that made his skin crawl. He didn't see any sign of anyone in the area, whether monster or human, nor did he see any sign of any footsteps besides his own. It was difficult to see clearly in this area, with the way the mako haze bent light and changed everything into shifting shadows, but he made it all the way to the edge of the pool, looking down into the Lifestream itself. The mako swam, producing shimmering images in front of his eyes, and he exhaled, breathing it in. One of the perks of being a Cetra was that mako didn't bother him, although he might have to slip his suit into a biohazard bag when he got back for cleaning. He stayed there as long as he dared, and when it was clear that he wouldn't find anything out here, he turned back.

He caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Kieran turned again, watching as a dark shape slid right out of sight and hid among the trees. It had been hiding in the hills above the mako pools, watching him, Kieran was certain. He reached for his gun. Kieran raised it, stepped behind the relative safety of a tree, and fired off into that general direction. The shot tore the air, rippling through the branches of a tree.

And all hell broke loose.

XxXxX

**PROFILE 005: Kane**

**Name: **Kane Sinclair

**Age: **18

**Birthday: **January 3

**Blood Type: **A

**Hometown: **Junon

**Hair Color: **Red

**Eye Color: **Green

**Mother: **UNKNOWN

**Father: **Reno

**Siblings: **N/A

**Occupation:** Senior at Midgar-Edge Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), Department of Engineering

**Notable: **Kane showed up on his father's doorstep at the age of 8 months, with nothing but a note and a shock of red hair to prove his identity. Since then, his relationship with his father has been strained. Due to his father's nature and occupation as a Turk, Kane grew up mostly being passed from family friend to family friend. Because of this, he has a relatively good relationship with his father's fellow Turks, causing him to occasionally go behind his father's back straight to Tseng when he needs something. He spent all of his summers in Edge with Cissnei and her family, and considers those summers to be the highlight of his childhood. He credits Cissnei with keeping him sane and Sephiroth with actually pushing him to achieve something, despite being initially terrified by the general. It was also during those summers that he developed a strong friendship with Ella Crescent, who was his age. The two of them spent every summer together, and even as children, exchanged messages during the school year.

As a child, Kane was considered very bright but not driven, and probably would not have applied to attend MIST if Ella, a natural born genius, hadn't already been accepted. Even as a child, Kane had always been fascinated with planes, airships, and flying, so upon getting accepted to MIST, he took easily to the Department of Engineering. Kane's interest in flying got the attention of Cid Highwind, whose only son had not yet been born the first time Kane came up to him and asked about planes. Cid has since, in his own way, taken Kane under his wing, teaching Kane how to fly _Renegade_ (originally Sara's plane), and allowing Kane to help out in the construction of the Mark 7 after school. Kane has already applied to join the WRO's Airship Division after graduation, and has ambitions of someday captaining one of the airship fleet.

Besides being a student of all things mechanical, Kane is an avid reader of both mythology and fantasy, and keeps a collection of books that some have theorized is a way to further distance himself from his father. His weapon of choice is a collapsible scythe he designed and built himself, named Dullahan. Ella's gunblade, Benevolence, is also one of his designs.

Like his father, Kane appears to have an aversion for ties, choosing to wear his school uniform without one. Kane, Ella, and Sara Highwind are all left-handed.

He has been in love with Ella Crescent for a very long time.


	6. Chapter 6

**Our Generation**

**By:**

**Mystwalker**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Final Fantasy VII.

**A/N: **I was originally going to have two stories running concurrently in this chapter (Kieran's cliffhanger and Kane's cliffhanger), but then I decided to just resolve one before resolving the other, so here. This is the WRO part of the story. Next chapter should get very Shinra-iffic. ^^

Thanks go to **DJ Meltdown of Ground Xero, Meteor Panda, Irish-Brigid, Guest, Eavenne, YellowShoes, **and **Ali **for your reviews and support!

**Meteor Panda, **yep XD While Sephy has a soft spot for him, it doesn't extend _quite _that far.

**Irish-Brigid, **Marlene and Denzel is a question I'll be answering fairly soon. ^^ Timeline wise, they're a little bit older than the rest of the cast (they'd be in their thirties), so I'm saving their cameos for later. I'm glad you like it! Thank for reviewing!

**Ali, **you and me both! Glad you like it! I try to make sure that if I do end up writing second-generation fics, I'm not writing characters that have the exact same personalities as their parents do, in the exact same world that their parents lived in.

XxXxX

The alarms overhead were loud, a constant blaring noise that set Kane's teeth on edge. He ignored it, focusing on the opponent in front of him. The winged man jumped back as Dullahan sliced through the air, neatly avoiding the scythe's first pass. Kane spun the scythe over his head, taking a step forward and cutting down again. This time, the man sprang back, Dullahan's tip slicing through the barest hint of blue cloth. The man's eyes fixed on Kane, and Kane had a moment to register the sharp crackling of the air around his hand before a blast of electricity tore through the air, striking Dullahan's shaft and sending him flying back. Kane let out a grunt as he landed on the hangar's concrete floor, rolling back and slamming into a metal cart. Tools skittered off the cart onto the floor at his feet, a pair of pliers smacking him in the head. He groaned, raising his head and beginning to push himself up off the floor.

A flash of red darted past out of the corner of his eye, followed by a gunshot. Kane watched as Arisa Kisaragi landed on top of one of the work benches, her red cloak settling around her as she fired twice. The man raised his hands, a sheet of lightning forming in front of him and knocking the first bullet off course. He dodged the second one, taking a roll to get out of the way. As he rolled, Sara came up from his other side, sweeping her spear in a serpentine motion. The tip of her spear nearly struck his shoulder from behind, but their opponent ducked and turned, stopping Sara's thrust by knocking his elbow into the shaft of her spear. He touched two fingers to the flat of the blade, meeting her eyes.

There was a sharp crack, and Sara let out a shout as she was thrown back, directly into the scaffolding that supported the outer shell of the Mark 7. A tarp fell on top of her as she landed on the ground, and she twisted around in frustration, trying to fight her way out of it. Kane jumped to his feet as Arisa charged forward again, dodging a blast of lightning in a whirl of red and black. She landed on top of _Renegade, _firing at the man again. Her eyes flicked towards Kane as Kane ran towards the man, scythe in one hand. The man raised his hand, electricity crackling around his fingers. His eyes met his, and Kane noticed, eyes wide, that they were mismatched—a brilliant mako blue on the right and bright silver on the left. What was it Ella had said that was called? Hetero—hetero-something. He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to worry about that. The lightning. He needed to watch out for the lightning.

The man fired his blast of lightning again, but this time, Kane was ready. He pressed a button on Dullahan's shaft, the scythe blade gleaming black. He grit his teeth, spinning the scythe quickly in front of him. The lightning struck the spinning staff, nearly sending him flying back, but he held his ground even as he began to slide across the concrete floor. His arms burned, the lightning sending his hair standing on end, but he held his ground, letting out a shout as the blast finally started to break. He swept Dullahan through the remnants and lowered the scythe blade back to his side, the tip of the scythe crackling with black lightning. Before the intruder could react, Kane swept his scythe out in front of him, feeling a rush of triumph as a crescent-shaped blast of electricity followed in its wake, sailing towards the man. He jumped back, clearly unprepared for having his own attack thrown back at him. As Kane watched, the man jumped over the blast, backflipping through the air in an attempt to get away from it. The blast struck one of the work carts, overturning it and sending tools skittering everywhere. He landed back on his feet, but Kane didn't give him time to recover, quickly closing in with a slash across his chest. The man took a step back, but Dullahan's tip tore through clothing and skin, a trail of blood following the scythe. Kane grinned, stepping forward, but the man raised an arm, grabbing onto Dullahan's shaft between Kane's fist and stopping him from bringing the scythe down. The man's expression was pained as he held the scythe in place there.

"Not so tough now, are you?" asked Kane, meeting the man's eyes.

To Kane's surprise, the intruder smirked. "Not bad," he admitted. "I suppose I don't have to hold back anymore."

Before Kane could do anything, the hand on Dullahan's shaft flared up, the sudden blast of power sending him flying back across the hangar. Kane's eyes widened, and he flailed for purchase, bracing himself for impact against the far wall.

A hand closed around his shoulder, yanking him back sharply. He looked up just in time to see Sephiroth setting him back down on the ground before the old general charged into the fray, his famous sword gleaming. Kane stood where he had left him, his eyes wide and his heart racing from the fight. His hands were numb from the sudden blast of electricity, but he couldn't find it in him to turn away. Age had definitely _not _dulled Sephiroth's blade. The intruder jumped back, caught unawares by the strength of that first slash. He jumped back, doing his best to avoid the second as Sephiroth closed in. Lightning cracked through the air as the intruder sent a blast at Sephiroth's head, but the general simply inclined his head slightly to the side, the blast sailing over his shoulder as he closed in.

The man's eyes widened as he saw Sephiroth, and he raised his hands, forming a barrier of electricity that appeared to stop Masamune in the air for a moment.

"You," he said.

"Me," was all Sephiroth said in reply. He cut down with Masamune, cutting through the electric barrier. The barrier exploded, the force of it sending the intruder flying back. He twisted around in the air, landing on one of the pieces of the Mark 7's hull, his eyes fixed on the silver-haired soldier below. A flash of red caught Kane's attention, and he turned to see Arisa launch herself through the air, kicking at his side.

"Hey!" she said. "Don't forget about me!"

The man turned to intercept their kick, his blue cloak snapping around her red one. He ducked his head, dodging a shot from her gun, and twisted out of the way as one of her daggers cut through the air. He pushed her gun arm out of the way, catching her wrist and holding it there. His eyes fixed on her as Arisa struggled, and from the ground beneath them, Kane saw him smirk. "Well now," he said. "Looks like something inside of you wants to come out and play."

"You don't know what you're talking about!" shouted Arisa, struggling out of his grip and kicking him away. She raised her gun, charging at him, and Kane thought she was going to end it, but then something happened. The man raised a hand towards her, almost in a beckoning motion, and Arisa's eyes went as round as saucers. She stopped, dropping suddenly to one knee and grabbing onto her head with both hands. A shudder wracked her frame, wisps of shadow rising up from her body. Kane found himself transfixed, unable to move, but also unable to relinquish his white-knuckled grip on Dullahan.

Sephiroth moved immediately, running towards them with his sword in hand. His eyes flicked towards Kane. "Find Vincent," he said, as Arisa's shudders became more pronounced. _"Now." _

Kane didn't waste time arguing. He nodded, turning to run as Sephiroth made it to the top of the hull fragment in two leaps, slashing down at the winged man before he could reach her. Kane ran towards the door's hangar, his scythe still in his hand as the sound of lightning tore through the hangar.

A figure darted past him, dressed all in black. Kane's eyes widened and he turned, watching as a Wutaiian man leaped the scaffolding up to the hull fragment, rushing to Arisa's side. He wore a long sword across his back, an _odachi _just smaller than Masamune, and as Kane watched, he unsheathed it, the sword gleaming as he cut through the shadows that were now thickening above Arisa. He spoke a single word in Wutaiian, and Arisa shuddered, the breath leaving her as she pitched forward. The Wutaiian man turned away from her, shifting his grip on his sword and stabbing at the intruder. The intruder jumped back, avoiding that thrust and another slash from Sephiroth, before leaping in the air. His wings extended, and he hovered there for a moment as his eyes flicked between Arisa's unconscious figure and the two men standing in front of her, swords in hand. His mouth opened, and he said something in Wutaiian that Kane didn't understand, followed by a laugh.

The other man shouted something back and Sephiroth stepped forward, but before either of them could reach him, the man flapped his wings, flying through the hole in the hangar and back the way he had come.

Sephiroth extended his wing with a rustling sound, obviously about to follow, but then his eyes moved from the man beside him, to Arisa on the ground, to Sara picking herself up out from under the canvas, and lastly to Kane. Kane wondered if it was just his imagination, or if the general's eyes landed on him for a little bit longer than everyone else. Making a decision, he folded his wing back against himself, barking a quick order to the man, also in Wutaiian. The man obviously scrambled to obey, bowing and sheathing his sword before crouching down to pick Arisa up. The two of them jumped down, landing on the ground in front of Kane as the alarms finally began to die down.

Kane didn't realize he was staring at Arisa until the man holding her looked up at him, his eyes narrowed dangerously. Arisa's cloak was wet with something black, he realized. Something that looked almost like ink. She twisted in her sleep, her face even paler than normal as she muttered something under her breath.

"I thought I told you to find Vincent, Kane." Sephiroth's tone was clipped. Kane hastily turned towards the general, his mouth open. He closed it quickly, realizing he didn't have an excuse, then opened it again.

"I—," he began.

"That won't be necessary," said a voice from behind him, causing him to freeze. "I'm here."

Vincent Valentine walked past Kane on his right, a frown on his face as he held out his hands for his daughter. The Wutaiian man relinquished his burden with a bow, taking a step back. Kane looked over his shoulder and noticed that Victoria was there as well, her own red eyes wide as she watched the scene in front of her.

"Infirmary," said Vincent, glancing at Sephiroth for confirmation.

Sephiroth nodded, swiping his sword in front of himself to clear it. He placed it at his back. "All of us," he said, looking over at Kane. "Even you."

Kane nodded, spinning Dullahan in reverse to allow the blades to lock back into their original position and running to help Sara to her feet.

XxXxX

It was an hour before the building had settled down enough that Kane was left alone, and another half an hour before things had settled down enough that he was allowed to leave. He stood in the medical treatment room, leaning against one of the gurneys and trying not to take the fact that he had been left out here too personally. Unbidden, his eyes drifted towards the door that led into one of the more private examination rooms, where Sephiroth, Vincent, Cissnei, the Wutaiian man who was apparently named Ichiro, Cid, Victoria, Sara, and an unconscious Arisa had hidden themselves, talking over the situation. The only information he'd managed to glean before someone realized he was standing there was that the man's name had apparently been Remiel, and this wasn't the first time they had encountered him. He'd also learned that the reason the Commissioner wasn't down here himself was because the front had just suffered a similar attack, but that was about all he'd managed to overhear before Vincent and Cissnei noticed him, and he was shooed out into the waiting room with little ceremony and told that he could either wait until they were done or go home. He'd elected to wait, not wanting to waste the day completely. Even though he was sure they wouldn't be getting to the Mark 7 today, it wasn't as if there was much waiting for him at home.

Kane ran his fingers over the cool metal of Dullahan's shaft, spinning it around in his hand before setting the butt down against the infirmary's tiled floor. His heart still pounded from the battle. He'd practiced with Dullahan—of course he practiced. What was the point of building a weapon if you weren't going to use it—but he hadn't expected he would have to use it like that. Because it was easier, he ignored the pounding in his head and thought about the technical aspects of the weapon. Dullahan's absorption capabilities worked well, at least against electricity. He would have to check later to make sure that the scythe hadn't sustained any lasting damage. He added that task to his growing to-do list, realizing with another frown that he was probably not going to be able to spend the evening flying across the Wasteland like he'd planned. Even if the hangar wasn't closed outright, Cid would probably be too busy to watch him fly.

It felt like ages before the sliding door opened again, admitting Cissnei. She smiled apologetically as she saw him, pushing a few graying strands of hair out of her face. Kane straightened up, turning towards her. He'd always liked Cissnei—even when he was a child, she'd done her best to not let him feel out of the loop. Sephiroth followed her, and at this, Kane found himself feeling a little more tense. The general's eyes flicked towards him, but the irritation from earlier was gone, his expression was carefully neutral. Because it was easier, he faced Cissnei instead.

"Is the meeting over?" he asked.

"Just about," said Cissnei, her smile growing a little tired. She eyed him. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine," he said, displaying his bandaged hand. The contact with lightning had left him with a few electrical burns, but nothing as severe as he thought he might experience. The doctor had given him potion to deal with the worst of it, and some painkillers that left him feeling pleasantly numb, although he had a feeling his hands would hurt like a bitch once that wore off. "The doc signed off on me. I'm free to go."

"Do you want me to call someone to get you?" asked Cissnei, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I know your dad's in town—."

"No," said Kane, a little too quickly. At Cissnei's raised brows, he shook his head, waving his bandaged hands in front of him. "I mean, no. I'm fine. Thanks, but it's alright." His father would find a way to twist the situation, somehow making it the WRO's fault that they were attacked and using the incident to question whether or not he actually wanted to join them. The memory of their conversation before he entered freshman year still left a bad taste in his mouth. He still didn't intend to change his mind. No matter how things turned out in the end, he had no intention of joining the Turks. Cissnei met his eyes, and seemed to understand whatever she saw there, because she nodded, not asking anything further.

"Then, I have a favor to ask you," she said.

That made Kane look up. "A favor?" he asked, meeting Cissnei's eyes.

"We can't leave," said Cissnei, glancing between her and Sephiroth. "Not until this is resolved. But...until this is, I don't feel comfortable with Ella being out there alone. She should still be at school. If you could—."

Kane nodded, understanding. He didn't need to be told twice. "Yeah, don't worry, Mrs. C," he said. "I'll walk her home."

He had the entire walk through the city to think about what he wanted to do. It was clear that none of the WRO higher-ups wanted him touching this investigation with a ten foot pole, but at the same time, he couldn't tear his mind away. It was pretty clear that Remiel wanted something, otherwise why attack the WRO's main base? He hadn't left until he realized that he couldn't win. And what was that thing with Arisa? And his eyes—normal mako eyes shouldn't have come in two colors, at least not as far as he knew.

He needed to know what was going on. The WRO wouldn't tell him, which left him with one place to get his answers. And if he knew her, she'd be more than willing to comply.

Kane pulled his ID out of his pocket as he reached the school gates, holding it up to the scanner. The light flicked from green to red with a beep, the gate hissing open to let him through. The campus was only open to senior students after hours, or those that had obtained special permission. He made his way across the quad, past the plaque that marked the spot where Reeve Tuesti and Rufus Shinra had declared the school open a little bit over fifteen years ago, and picked his way past the Engineering building towards the Department of Biology. His ID card didn't work here, but after some discussion, he managed to get a visitor's card from the man at the door in order to access the labs. A few moments and some navigating down white hallways later, Kane found himself standing outside the student lab where Ella worked on her senior project.

He knocked on the glass to catch her attention. She looked up from her work, frowning at him. Kane raised a hand, beckoning her to the door, and her eyes narrowed, but she nodded, gently placing the rat she was examining back in its cage. She peeled off her gloves, tossing them in a bin next to her desk before walking over to the door. Kane watched as she keyed something into a pad next to the door. The door hissed open, and she stepped out, meeting him in the hallway.

"What?" she asked, looking slightly annoyed. She glanced at the clock on the wall. "I wasn't supposed to meet you for another hour."

Ella wore a lab coat over her uniform, and glasses. Safety regulations prohibited her from wearing contact lenses while working with chemicals. She gave him an impatient look from over the rim of those same glasses, folding her arms across her chest. He resisted the urge to give the entire ensemble a once-over, keeping his attention on her face. He'd seen her in a lab coat many times before, he reminded himself.

"Your mom sent me to come get you," he told her. "There's been some trouble at the WRO."

Her expression softened slightly at that. "Trouble?" she asked. "What kind of trouble?"

He told her. Starting with the attack on the hangar and ending with what he had found out about the attack on the camp at the front. Ella listened intently, letting out a breath when he told her that Aidan was okay and fixating on the description of the attacker. He could practically see the wheels turning in her mind as her eyes lit up at his description, and she reached for the notepad in her pocket. "You said he had two wings?" she asked, interrupting.

He nodded, and she scribbled something down. "He also had mismatched eyes," he told her, thinking back to the details of the fight. "Both mako-infused, but with different colors. There's a term for that, I think. You mentioned it once. Hetero...hetero..."

"Heterochromia," Ella supplied, making a note without looking up. "That's interesting. Mako shouldn't behave like that. It hasn't, in all the studies performed with it. Do you remember what the colors were."

"Blue and silver," he said. "Does it matter?"

Ella tapped her pen on the corner of her notepad. "Blue shouldn't. That's fairly standard. Silver, though..." She shook her head. "There was a school of thought that suggested the color of mako-infused eyes was an indicator of the purity of the source mako and the stability of the bond between mako and the host. Blue, the standard SOLDIER color, should signify a decently pure mako stream. Green, like Aidan's, would be better. Silver...Silver makes me think of the old Tsviets, back before Meteorfall."

"Did any of them ever have heterochromia?" asked Kane.

"Not that I know of," Ella pursed her lips in thought, turning away. She looked up at Kane. "You said you cut him?"

He handed over his scythe without a word. At some point during his walk over, he realized it would come to this. In truth, he'd been hoping it would. Like him, Ella had never been able to leave a situation alone, and if anyone could figure this out, it would be her. A part of him almost wondered if this was what Cissnei had had in mind when she sent him here in the first place. "You know," he said, as he followed her into the lab, letting the door shut behind him. "They probably aren't going to be happy if we start butting our noses into this."

"It'll take them days before they start to think about DNA," said Ella. She pulled on a fresh pair of gloves, then pressed the button that allowed Dullahan's scythe blades to unfold. The tip of the scythe was a dull brown from dried blood. He watched as Ella swabbed it down carefully, placing the sample in a test tube. "Their main concern is security. They won't even consider the 'why' until they can figure out the 'how'." She finished up, spinning the scythe once to fold it and handing it back to him. He took it from her, taking a step back as she walked off to her lab equipment. "Stay over there," she told him, waving a hand at the door. "This area is clean. This will take a while, so I suggest you read something while waiting. And maybe let me take another look at your hands. I don't like the look of them."

He stared down at his bandaged hands, fighting off a smile as Ella immediately turned her attention to other things. Kane found a bench, settling in for a long wait. He didn't have anything to read, so he busied himself with studying the machines, trying to determine their purpose. He'd been in the lab Ella had appropriated for her use a couple of times. He knew the work she was doing was loosely related to mako and genetics—an attempt at developing a cure for mako addiction. It was an ambitious project for a student, and he didn't think anyone other than Ella would be able to pull it off, but in all the time he'd known her, he'd never known her to aim small. He smiled slightly at this. It was her idea to go to this school in the first place. If it hadn't been for her, he might never have discovered the sky.

He was still thinking that three hours later, when Ella shook him awake. Kane blinked blearily, not even remembering falling asleep. The hallway outside of the lab was dark, suggesting that the rest of the school had already left.

"Kane," said Ella, her voice soft. "Kane."

"I'm up," he said, shaking his head. "Sorry."

"It's fine," said Ella, taking a step back. "You had a long day." She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, looking back at the screen. Kane came up behind her, making sure to keep his hands in his pockets and not touch anything.

"So, what's the verdict?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the screen.

"I have no idea," replied Ella. "These patterns, this configuration. I've only seen it in one other person's blood before."

Kane blinked. "Whose?" he asked.

Ella's reply was grave. "Mine." Her eyes fixed on the screen, taking in the numbers and information there. "Kane, does the _Renegade _have enough fuel for a long flight?"

"How long?" asked Kane, frowning.

"Intercontinental," replied Ella. She tore her eyes away from the screen, looking back at him. "I want to go to Nibelheim."

Kane gaped at her, watching as she turned away. She moved her fingers across the touch pad of the machine, saving the information to her memory stick. His mouth worked, and it took him a moment to find his voice. When he did, it took him another moment to figure out what to say. "Call me crazy," he finally said. "But I don't think your parents are going to be okay with you just up and flying off to Nibelheim."

"I'll handle my parents," said Ella, pulling the memory stick out of the machine and slipping it into the front pocket of her coat. "Just fly the plane."

Kane knew Ella by now. He knew her well enough to recognize the look in her eye, to recognize that this was the start of another hare-brained scheme that was probably going to end up with them in serious trouble at best or dead at worst. It was insanity. But he knew himself well enough by now to know that he was probably going to go along with it anyway.

XxXxX

**PROFILE 006: Ella**

**Name: **Ella Crescent

**Age: **18

**Birthday: **April 30

**Blood Type: **A

**Hometown: **Edge

**Hair Color: **Dark Red

**Eye Color: **Brown

**Mother: **Cissnei

**Father: **Sephiroth

**Siblings: **Aidan (24)

**Occupation:** Senior at Midgar-Edge Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), Department of Biology

**Notable: **Ella's mother is often quick to point out that despite the fact that her older brother Aidan inherited both their father's fighting skills and mako enhancements, Ella is the one that inherited his personality. Aloof, introverted, analytical, a perfectionist, and critical of herself and others, Ella made few friends outside of the AVALANCHE group as a child, and often spent her time alone, growing close only to her brother and Kane, who spent almost every summer at her house. The two of them became friends quickly, forming a friendship that lasted until Ella decided to apply to attend MIST and Kane decided to join her. During the application phase, Ella placed first in the entrance examination, and since enrolling at MIST, has placed consistently at the top of her class.

Ella and her brother are very close despite their age difference, with Ella often feeling as though she needs to look out for her brother the same way he looks out for her. She isn't blind to Kane's feelings for her. However, she has decided against commenting on them in the meantime, unsure of how to react to them. Despite her outward indifference, Kane's decision to remain in the WRO is part of the reason why she has been secretly considering enlisting in the WRO's medical department instead of going to Junon to pursue her scientific studies. The other reason is a reluctance to draw comparisons between herself and her grandfather, who despite being a good scientist, was a profoundly evil man.

Her weapon of choice is one of Kane's creations, a gunblade named Benevolence. Despite not having mako enhancements, she is a skilled fighter in her own right, and is the only one out of Sephiroth's two children that can summon a wing.


End file.
